Gambare Shikamaru
by Blueezy
Summary: Er..Ch. 7 up. Also kinda long. And the story of Shikamaru and Ino continues. Starts out with newly-wed anxieties, insecurities, then voodoo dolls and schemes. Ends with....? Shikaino
1. She Thinks He Thinks

Instead of finishing my other fic, I decided to write this because I usually end up forgetting whatever I don't write down immediately. *SIGHS* I really should've spent the time to do my hw and study for my tests though. Once again, Naruto still doesn't belong to me. Otanoshimi ni  
  
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Ch. 1 She Thinks He Thinks  
  
They've been married for a few months now and although she loves him with every fiber of her being, she can't help but feel unappreciated. Shikamaru treats her no differently now compared to the time before they married. Although that might sound like good news to most people, those people who experienced a period of passionate courting from their beloved but end up having that passion diminished by marriage, it was the opposite with Ino. Shikamaru had never bothered with romancing her. They never really dated either, since they were almost always together anyways, him being her teammate and only real friend other than Chouji.  
  
She had hoped marriage would bring out the Romeo in him, but Shikamaru is Shikamaru. He still acts like the lazy sloth he is and treats her with what seems to be casual indifference most of the time, punctuated by brief periods of emotional breakthrough. How did a man who always seems to be on the brink of hibernation become a jounin anyways? She decided his jounin status must be accredited to the violent encouragement from her and her mother-in-law.  
  
Ino supposed that she should be glad he even managed to propose to her at all. She was and still is surprised that he proposed on his own. Ino had always assumed Shikamaru wouldn't marry, unless of course, some bossy girl yelled at him enough times to make him give in. So why would he pop the question without any prompting on her part?  
Ino can't help but feel a bit insecure when she contemplates his possible reasons behind the proposal. Shikamaru is a calculating guy with an alert mind despite his sluggish mannerism. She wonders if he proposed because as the only child, he is obligated to continue the Nara clan so that Konoha's deer would be tended to for yet another generation. He might have picked her out of all the kunoichi due to a simple matter of convenience. Other than Chouji, Ino is his only other close friend. She was and still is, his only female friend although she was recently upgraded to wife. Ino also understands his personality because they've been together since childhood. He might have thought the process of familiarizing another girl to his quirks would be too much trouble.  
  
Shikamaru knows that although she yells at him constantly, she generally tolerates his ways. Besides, the chances of her agreeing to marry him is significantly higher than any other woman of this village and Shikamaru is too lazy to do something as "troublesome" as finding a mate outside of the Konoha village. Ino sometimes worries that Shikamaru had simply done a little weighing of the pros and cons in that brilliant mind of his and frankly decided she was the easiest way to go.  
  
Shikamaru's marriage proposal crushed her inner romantic self. Like most people, she sometimes indulged herself with secret romantic fantasies. It wasn't that she wanted Shikamaru to ride up to her on a white horse wearing a suit of armor or that she expected him to whisk her away to a paradise of erotic intrigue, it was that she thought he could have tried a little harder.  
  
His proposal took place on an average day. She, Chouji, and Shikamaru were on their way to the B.B.Q. place when Sasuke hurried by with a rabidly lustful Sakura on his tail. Just to piss Sakura off and to get revenge on her for throwing away their friendship for a guy who didn't even want her, Ino had decided to bother Sasuke too.  
  
Just when Ino was about to pounce on him, her body froze stiffly and turned around and away from Sasuke. Ino was caged within her own body as her legs started to move without her volition. She had fought the entire way, struggling with her own muscles for dominance as her legs carried her to a dark alley. Just when she was about to really panic, she saw Shikamaru with the corner of her eyes, walking along with her just a little bit behind her at her left side. That was when she realized that for the first time, Shikamaru had used his jutsu on her.  
  
Her body may have been bound by his jutsu but she was so enraged at the time that her eyelids wouldn't stop twitching and her eyes were filled with the promises of pain. After they had walked into the alley, Shikamaru turned his body and she turned with him so that they faced each other. That was when he released kagemane and gently pushed her back against a wall. All he said to her was, "Ke...this is so mendokusee...Ino, I really really care about you. Would you like to join the Nara family?"  
  
It wasn't what she had dreamed of in her younger days, but, she found herself nodding misty eyed at him. Ino still doesn't quite understand exactly why she had agreed to marry him at the time because it was before she realized how in love with him she is. Maybe it was the blush on his cheeks, or the way he struggled to keep his grumpy expression, or how he couldn't quite get himself to look her in the eyes in spite of his obvious effort to do so. Whatever the reason may have been, she had said yes.  
  
Now that she really thought about it, maybe she is being too harsh on Shikamaru. He isn't completely passionless and platonic. She remembers that on their wedding night, he had asked her so many times about whether or not she was actually ready that she thought he didn't want to get physically intimate with her. While he was babbling something about how social customs shouldn't compel women to have sex before they're ready on some night that's supposed to be significant, Ino had already wriggled into bed. That was when he stopped talking and came blushingly to bed also.  
  
He had kissed her. She had kissed him. Then they had kissed each other. With each kiss, Shikamaru shed some of his inhibition. Before she knew it, Shikamaru was on her heavily with a sense of urgency she didn't know he could possess. And even though that was their first time, the awkwardness faded as the night progressed.  
  
Ino became aware of the fact that she is blushing from the memory of Shikamaru's caresses from that night's heated lovemaking and quickly poured herself a glass of cool water. "Iyada..." she covers her face in embarrassment even though she's the only one in the kitchen. Her body grew warm at the remembrance of the feel of Shikamaru in her. There was the sound of a door creaking open and then slamming shut.  
  
"Tadaima" the object of her affection grunted as he shuffles into the meticulously clean kitchen. He reaches for the glass of water she just poured but stopped midway to stare at her.  
  
"What?!", Ino snaps out of embarrassment. She knows her face is still a deep crimson.  
  
An indistinguishable look slipped over Shikamaru's face like a mask.  
  
"I'm going to take a bath", he said moodily. His thirst forgotten, he left the glass of water behind and trudges up the stairs.  
  
Ino is left alone in the kitchen in a state of confusion until she happens to look down and notices the mud on her shiny tile floor. Apparently, Shikamaru was too lazy to take off his boots again.  
  
"Shikamaru no baka!! What *IS* that man thinking anyways?!"  
  
Ino grouchily grabs a few paper towels.  
  
Shikamaru kneads his bare shoulders in vain. His muscles simply refuse to relax and his entire frame is still tense in his mission mode. He let hot water run on full blast but the bathtub is only half filled.  
  
"Mendokusee~", he sighs in frustration.  
  
Shikamaru starts to rub the muscles in his arms but the pain he felt in them didn't abate. He couldn't help but sigh at himself again. If he hadn't ticked Ino off by walking mud into the house, it would be her hands massaging his tired body. In cases such as this, only Ino can bring comfort to his sore flesh. Being a jounin is too hard a work. He would've been perfectly happy to be a plain, low-level ninja for the rest of his life. Hell, he wouldn't even be a ninja if it weren't his only way to earn his meals.  
  
It has been so long since he's had the time to laze about and admire the clouds, and even more so, the sky. On days when the clouds are nice, the sky is usually a clear calming blue. Although Shikamaru likes clouds, cloud watching was actually a code term for sky watching. He knows the bright blue sky of a summer's day is the closest blue in existence to the color of Ino's eyes. But anyways, this isn't the time to contemplate that. His mind is more preoccupied with the state Ino was in when he got home.  
  
He remembers how her face glowed with a rosy flush and her lips, a delicious red. That expression on her face triggered something in him because.......wasn't that the look she gets when they're making love? Shikamaru trusts Ino. He knows she would never and is not the type who cheats. Besides, he sensed no lingering foreign chakra when he got home. That means only one thing. Ino was *thinking* about someone. He had reacted brusquely to her because Shikamaru knew 'that someone' was probably not him. He understands that Ino has a right to her own fantasies even though she's married to him but he is no saint. Logically, he knows she is his, but, his irrational male side caused dark and unnamed emotions to crawl within him.  
  
He moves stiffly, feeling each kink and ache of his body, until he gets to the Sink. Shikamaru reaches out to the mirror, which was above that sink and wiped the fog off it with an arm. It left ugly smears of oil and dirt on the mirror but he didn't care. Shikamaru put his hands on the edge of the sink and leaned forward.  
  
"Jealousy is an ugly thing...." He said to his own reflection.  
  
He tries not to get angry over the thought that someone else can turn his Ino on but even now, his mood is still foul. He never thought about anyone other than Ino that way. Before he became interested in girls, Ino was his friend, troublesome, but still a friend. Then, when he started to notice curves, his devotion was entirely reserved for her.  
  
What if Ino still thought about Sasuke. What if she is still in love with that Uchiha yarou. What if.... what if she only married him because Uchiha was openly gay and in love with Naruto? Maybe she replaced him with Sasuke in her mind whenever they're physically intimate. What if, in Ino's mind, it was Sasuke with her on their wedding night instead of him? What if...what if.....why are his hands in pain?  
  
Shikamaru looks down to see his knuckles white from gripping the bathroom sink too tightly. Pieces of the sink crumbled when the cracks and fissures under his hands widened.  
  
"Uso....." his right eye twitches, "maybe I can get it replaced before Ino notices."  
  
Shikamaru carefully removes his hands from the sink and kicks his jounin vest on the floor out from under the crumbling sink. He slides off his pants tiredly. By now, the tub is filled with the adequate level of hot inviting water. He is about to get into the tub when he suddenly changes his mind. No matter how bone tired he is right now, Shikamaru decides that he'd better toss his clothes into the dirty laundry basket. Suppressing a groan, he bends down and gathers his grubby outfit into his arms.  
  
'I'm so whipped. Give me a few more weeks of this marriage thing and I'll become my dad' he thinks glumly, 'oh well', he finishes the thought with a mental shrug. Antagonizing Ino never did him any good  
  
Shikamaru opens the bathroom door and walks out comfortably into the hallway where the laundry basket is located because he assumed Ino is still downstairs. And while it rarely happens, it is not impossible. Shikamaru had miscalculated.  
  
Ino stood in the hallway wide-eyed and red-faced. Shikamaru feels a slow burn developing on his face. The proof of his embarrassment increases steadily in intensity until even the back of his neck is blushing.  
  
Ino makes an honorable effort at pretending to be unaffected by his nudity but Shikamaru knows better. Neither of them had any experience with the opposite sex before they married each other. They also haven't had enough time to become fully acquainted with each other's bodies. Therefore, self- conscious shyness, when either of them is in a vulnerable state of undress is unavoidable, until, a long period of domesticity dissolves whatever is left of their reservations.  
  
Ino's eyes avoid his body and he manages to win against the reflexive urge to cover up his groin. He quickly tosses his clothes into the basket and strides back into the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him. As he climbs into the tub, Shikamaru thinks he hears Ino's giggles.  
  
"Ke....women...mendokusee"  
  
He slides down into the tub until even his head is submerged under the water.  
  
'Of all the women to fall in love with I end up falling for the most troublesome one', Shikamaru mentally laments.  
  
The bathwater bubbled with his defeated sigh.  
  
TBC (when I feel like it) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I don't like to write but I was attacked by a particularly bossy muse today and wrote this fic in a day then forced a friend to read it. Thanks for being a good friend Fi-chan. This is a lot of material to read, especially for someone who isn't a rabid Inoshika fan such as myself. 


	2. Communication Skills

A few days ago, I checked my fanfic.net email and was surprised by reader reviews. I didn't know reviews got sent to email addresses (silly me). I didn't know I actually got reviews. I AM pleasantly surprised though. Although I did not receive a lot of reviews, the quality of the reviews I DID get were superb. Quality really is more important than quantity.  
  
^_^ Arigatou gozaimashita *nods*  
  
Who knew people actually read my fic? LOL  
  
I noticed that for some reason, the structure of the previous chapter was altered when it's posted on fanfic.net. The breaks in paragraphs that I made weren't displayed and some of the paragraphs weren't indented. If it made reading complicated, I apologize.  
  
Otanoshimi ni kudasai  
  
*nibbles dinner*  
  
p.s. I decided to write this chapter in past tense for the hell of it and this chapter will probably need to be edited. When I'm up to it, I'll post edited chapters.  
  
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Ch.2 Communication Skills  
  
It's been an hour and Shikamaru was still in the bathroom. Ino understood that being a jounin is very taxing but there are only so many hours in a day. They have too many other responsibilities that they must attend to. The reality is, there just isn't enough time to be used for him to be soaking away the rest of his day in the bath.  
  
"Shikamaru~?", Ino called out in an irate tone as she knocked on the bathroom door, "Come on Shikamaru! I still need you to deliver flowers to customers!" she reminded him.  
  
She stopped knocking to listen for a response and there was none. She resumed her knocking, louder this time, with each pound on the door insinuating her temper is short in supply.  
  
There was no reply from the man in the bathroom.  
  
Ino's fiery temper revved up when she thought about the nerve of that man.  
  
"Shikamaru?! Get out of the bathroom now! You better have drowned in the tub if you're not going to answer me because I'm going to kill you if I have to go in to drag you out!" she punctuated her threat with a particularly loud punch to the door. Once again, she quieted down to listen for a response.  
  
All she heard was silence from the bathroom and the faint chirping of birds outside.  
  
Now Ino is really angry. How dare he not obey and be intimidated by her? Even worse than that, since when did he develop enough balls to ignore her? Naked or not, she decided, she was going in.  
  
"Shika? I'm opening the door! You better abandon all hope now!", she declared while cracking her fists.  
  
She turned the doorknob and shoved the door open forcefully. She was fully prepared to yell his ears off and deliver some violent retributions. There were satisfying mental images in her head of how she was going to make him repent. But, all that anger dissipated like clouds when she was greeted by an adorable sight of her husband, who was in deep sleep while in one of his stranger positions.  
  
Shikamaru was sitting nakedly in the bathtub with his upper body slung over the edge like he was some giant cotton-filled stuffed animal. Even though she could tell that position was painful, leave it to Shikamaru to somehow manage to sleep that way. She stood there quietly to stare at him in his unguarded condition. In his unconscious state, the extent of his exhaustion shone through and her heart ached for him.  
  
Ino's eyes roamed the visible part his body that wasn't blocked by the bathtub. She admired his broad shoulders, his large calloused hands that always touched her so gently, and she visually caressed the toned muscles of his arms that his occupation forced him to develop. She knew all of his old scars on his otherwise flawless pale skin and didn't fail to notice the appearance of new ones either. She felt her heart skip a beat. Shikamaru really is a sexy guy. Why couldn't she have noticed this sooner in their relationship? It would have saved her from years of Sasuke- induced heartache and all the pointless attempts at trying to catch his eyes.  
  
Ino was frightened by the ferocity of the feeling of protectiveness that raged within her. She wanted to pick up Shikamaru, wrap him in a towel, and run to their bedroom with him in her arms. She wanted to stick him in their bed, crawl in, and snuggle him forever and keep him there so that new scars would never appear on his skin again. But she could never bring herself to do something as embarrassing and insane like that. Instead, Ino extended a hand and playfully prodded him in the shoulder with a finger.  
  
The skin between Shikamaru's eyebrows creased in irritation but he was otherwise still asleep. Ino smiled tenderly at his sleeping face and got on her knees to lean in closely.  
  
"Shika-chan..." she said with her voice filled with affection.  
  
She lifted his chin and gently pressed her lips against his firm pouting ones. Shikamaru felt the warm familiar pressure against his lips and started to stir.  
  
"I...no?", he croaked out before he managed to open his painfully stinging and sleep deprived eyes.  
  
"Mou...Shikamaru-tara~ I thought I was supposed to be the princess in this relationship, Mr. Sleeping beauty~"  
  
Shikamaru could hear the gentle humor in her voice and was greatly comforted.  
  
Ino stuck a hand in the bath water and sighed at him.  
  
"The water is cold." She stated.  
  
"So it is~", he responded like he hadn't noticed that himself.  
  
Ino rolled her eyes and poked him harder in mild irritation.  
  
Shikamaru decided that he needed to sit up so he flinched a muscle experimentally. He was punished for his insolence by ripples of soreness that washed over his abused muscles in waves. He let out a groan. Then, he felt Ino's small hands on his shoulders. She helped support his weight and carefully assisted him in into a sitting position. It hurt, but a lot less than what would've been had he sat up on his own.  
  
Ino's hands slid from his shoulders to the back of his neck where she started to gently loosen the knots of tension with her fingers.  
  
"Where you asleep the whole time?" she questioned with an amused look, "Your skin is still yucky and your hair is still up. Didn't you do ANY washing?"  
  
The only answer Shikamaru gave her was the transformation of his expression from mildly grumpy to ultra grumpy. Ino was used to such a reaction and decided that it was futile to try to talk to him when he was in one of these moods so she continued her massage for him in silence.  
  
Under Ino's ministrations, Shikamaru's head started to dip forward in relaxation and that was when his line of vision fell down to his lap. He sat up straight in surprise. He had forgotten that he was still buck- naked. With the speed of a jounin, Shikamaru reached out and snatched a small towel hanging on the wall, which, he used to drape over his lap. Thankfully, he didn't think Ino noticed.  
  
He closed his eyes when his darling wife started to untie his hair band. And when Ino started to comb through his hair with her fingers, Shikamaru's habitual frown lessened significantly. He let out a happy sigh and let his shoulders relax.  
  
Ino grabbed a brush and continued to rid his hair of any tangles.  
  
"What will you do without me you lazy bum........", she said more to  
herself than to him.  
  
"My mom says 'absolutely nothing'", he replied as a matter of fact.  
  
"Probably so you lazy bum." She scolded.  
  
"You say that like it's a bad thing. Energy expenditure should be the  
last resort because energy comes at a high cost." Shikamaru allowed  
himself to smirk smugly.  
  
Ino put down the hairbrush and stood up dramatically.  
  
"Oh why DID I marry a lazy, unambitious, plain looking guy with the personality of an old man like you?~" she bemoaned with exaggerated regret.  
  
His smirk was replaced by a look of surprise, then hardened scowl. He seethed inside. 'Next she's going to say she should've waited for Uchiha instead of marrying me', he thought bitterly.  
  
Ino's eyes widened in bewilderment at his reaction.  
  
"Shika-chan...I married you because I ....really really...really 'like', no... 'love' you..." she blushingly confessed a bit unwillingly. She quickly planted a reassuring kiss on his forehead before straightening back up. 'Was Shikamaru actually mad?', she wondered, 'No way! Shikamaru never gets mad!'  
  
"Anyways!" Ino waved her brush at him, "Hurry up and take a shower!", she commanded.  
  
Shikamaru was back to his lazy relaxed self when he flopped onto his back and gave her a cocky grin.  
  
"I don't want to. You wash me." He suggested.  
  
Ino twitched in annoyance.  
  
"You're a grown man! Wash yourself!"  
  
Shikamaru yawned loudly.  
  
"I'm too tired and the tub is so comfortable.", he said lethargically. After saying that, he closed his eyes and seemed to be asleep again.  
  
Ino angrily clubbed him in the head with her brush, which didn't even faze him due to his experience with years of physical abuse by her hands. Eventually, after glaring at his sleeping face for a while, she put down her hairbrush in defeat. She was beginning to realize that if she didn't help wash him, he just might lay in the tub forever.  
  
"OK OK I"LL WASH YOU!", she yelled in his face.  
  
The winds of change is in the air. Since when has Ino ever given into Shikamaru's demands? Shikamaru sat up with a grin on his lips and pulled the plug on the bathwater.  
  
Although she gave in to his immaturity, Ino was still going to lay down the laws.  
  
"We're taking a shower.", she instructed. No way was she going to vegetate with him for hours. "And you better not ogle at me anywhere!", she warned nervously with her hands hovering near her own clothes.  
  
"Hai hai~", Shikamaru replied in a bored tone.  
  
"'Hai' ONCE is enough!" It was her turn to be cranky.  
  
"Mendokuseeeee you sound like my mom." He grumbled.  
  
Ino gave him a humph. "AAARAA~ I can't help that you have an Oedipus complex!", she mocked.  
  
Shikamaru was too lazy to argue back at her. "Hai hai~ I mean hai! It's all my fault.", he answered in a placating voice.  
  
Ino really couldn't say much more after he took all the blame so she turned her back to him and proceeded to remove her clothing.  
  
Shikamaru looked down at the towel across his lap with an air of uncertainty before finally deciding to take it off. It would be kind of stupid to shower with one hand holding a towel to his groin and probably even more foolish looking if he wore swimming trunks. He turned on the water and adjusted it until it was the right temperature, then, he switched it to shower. He stood up to pull the shower curtain across but found himself enchanted by Ino's nubile backside.  
  
He felt like a lecher but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the arousing shape of her figure. His eyes followed the contour of her physique, down to her small waist that fit in his arms perfectly, to the gentle flair of her rounded hips. Then, Ino turned around and he was caught like a deer in headlights. What made it even worse was that Shika Jr. liked what he saw too.  
  
Her face immediately changed to a bright scarlet. Shikamaru thought that was beautiful too. Unfortunately, what Shikamaru likes, Shika Jr. likes even more. 'Over 200 points of IQ don't fail me now!', his brain screamed.  
  
"Uhhhh..." came out of his mouth.  
  
Ino quickly covered her breasts and bowed her head. The mood in the area immediately became dangerous. Shikamaru could sense the rising chakra in her. Her shoulders trembled violently. His destiny was sealed. Shikamaru looked out the only window in the bathroom, which happened to have a perfect view of the backyard.  
  
"The clouds are nice today...."  
  
There was a flash of bright light when Ino punched him in the head. Apparently, she was really shy and self-conscious with nudity.  
  
"YOU PROMISED NOT TO OGGLE!", she screamed at him. Her face was red and swollen and her clear blue eyes swam with unshed tears of embarrassment. Shikamaru still thought she looked beautiful. The blinking stars before his eyes only served to make her look more angelic. He barely felt the growing bruise on the side of his head.  
  
'We're not comfortable with nudity and we've only made love a handful of times since our marriage a month ago; five times on our wedding night, then only once more after that night when we got drunk off a wedding present from Hokage-sama. What kind of newlywed couple are we?!', he thought angrily with a large measure of frustration.  
  
".......Gomen.....I didn't mean to leer." And he was sincere. Too bad Shika Jr. wasn't apologetic at all.  
  
Shikamaru quickly turned away and grabbed the shampoo bottle from the rack. He kept his back to her so that she wouldn't notice his state of physical arousal but Ino misunderstood his actions and thought he was angry.  
  
He was shampooing his hair furiously when he heard Ino exhale loudly from behind him. 'I guess she's not angry anymore', he thought. Dare he hope? There was the soft rustle of the shower curtain and then there was an extra pair of hands in his hair.  
  
"Ino?", he questioned.  
  
"I'll wash your hair and back. You wash the rest of yourself.", she said in a voice that allowed for no dissenting opinion.  
  
He immediately grabbed his sponge and started to lather up his chest. He wished the feel of her fingers stroking his scalp wasn't so sensual. He was going to have major problems with washing his private region. Male bodies are so damn troublesome sometimes. Then her hands left and he was both relieved and disappointed. He bent slightly to wash lower down when the soft pressure of a sponge told him Ino was ready to scrub his back. It felt nice to be washed by someone else but he would've preferred having her hands run up and down his body rather than the sponge. Of course he wasn't going to tell her that. Not even if his life depended on it.  
  
Meanwhile, Ino was confused by Shikamaru's silence but she wrote it off as him being too lazy to chat. Or maybe, he was still angry about that punch she gave him. But if that was the case, why was he breathing so hard?  
  
Shikamaru felt a bead of liquid drip off his nose. He wasn't sure if that was water from the shower or his sweat because he was now fully aroused. While cleaning himself, his brain was already working out an escape plan that would allow him to get away from Ino before she noticed what a pervert her husband was. But a half of him, the part that needed physical gratification, told him to turn around and let Ino know how much he wanted her. Their bodies were hot and slick with soap and water. If this wasn't the time, when was it? He could turn around now and trap her against the wall. He would kiss her and let her know how much he loves her and if she was in the mood, they can spend the rest of the afternoon in bed learning the pleasures of each other's flesh. He was just about to turn around when Ino spoke up.  
  
"I'm done! You're about done too! Just rinse yourself and hurry out ok?"  
  
"...............", he nodded.  
  
Ino stepped out of the shower, wrapped a fluffy towel around herself, and shut the door in an unlady-like manner behind her when she walked energetically out of the bathroom.  
  
"............................" Shikamaru slapped himself. "How troublesome."  
  
And so he quickly washed the soap and shampoo off himself and stepped out of the shower also. He pulled on his boxers and winced a bit as the fabric chafed against his sensitive member. This wouldn't do. He started to think unsexy thoughts: Uchiha Sasuke, the troublesome guy who was his first chuunin mission. Haruno Sakura, the annoying bossy woman who made Ino cry a week straight when they were eight. Ino....no he couldn't think about Ino now.  
  
There was that pounding on the door again.  
  
"SHIKAMARU!!!!!", Ino raged.  
  
"Hai hai warukatta~", he said sounding bored.  
  
Sometimes Shikamaru wonders how he ended up with such a bossy woman when he was so careful to learn from his father's mistakes. Whatever happened to his life's plan? But he really was too childish when he plotted out how he wanted to live his life. He had wanted to marry a woman who wasn't too beautiful or too ugly. The fact that she must not be overbearing definitely came without saying. But he was too cocky and didn't realize human emotions didn't work in accordance to life plans. Thus, he ended up with Ino. But maybe Ino was a plain looking woman. He didn't know. She always looked beautiful to him. It's like a disease or some horrible debilitating blind spot. She can be unreasonably domineering, stubborn, selfish, and violent but he still only saw all the good in her.  
  
The bathroom door trembled with each pound on the other side. Bits of plaster came off the wall. The door really couldn't take much more of the brunt of her anger. At least it wasn't his head.  
  
"SHIIIIIKAAAAMAAARUUUU!!!!!!!"  
  
"HAI HAI~"  
  
He pulled on his pants and looked at the door again. The hinges were loose. If she hit it a few more times it was going to fall off the wall. Shikamaru pulled on his comfortable fishnet shirt and opened the door. He was immediately punched in the chest.  
  
He gasped, "I....no...."  
  
Ino blinked at him, no longer angry. "Oh sorry Shika-chan! I didn't know you were going to open the door right then.", she told him with a smile. "Here", she handed him a piece of paper. He looked at the paper confused.  
  
"What is this?", he questioned while rubbing his chest. He hoped his sternum wasn't cracked. She smiled even more sweetly and he felt a sense of forebode.  
  
"These are the orders people have placed on my flower arrangements. They're already finished and labeled. All you have to do is deliver them.", she told him.  
  
Shikamaru's eyes closed slightly, making him look even sleepier.  
  
"Does it matter that I don't want to?", he asked hopefully. There was always the chance.  
  
"Not in the least bit." And did she sound cheerful or what.  
  
"But I don't want to", irritation was creeping into his voice, "I'm tired."  
  
"But anata....", her voice was saccharine sweet, washing over him like honey. She was gently stroking his arms.  
  
"That doesn't work on me Ino. It never has.", he told her, sounding even more bored than before. He can lie without any trace of a giveaway.  
  
Ino's sunny smile disappeared as dark clouds came over her face. "You were in the bathroom for over three hours." Her voice was soft and low, "had you gotten out of the bathroom two hours ago, you would've been done with the deliveries already." And there was the killing blow.  
  
Shikamaru promptly gave up.  
  
"OK OK MENDOKUSEE ONNA!" He stuck the paper in his pocket and stomped downstairs.  
  
"Itterasshai~", Ino called out from the top of the stairs in a singsong voice like a good wife should.  
  
Shikamaru muttered a bit before grudgingly replying, "Ittekuru". He would've slammed the door on his way out, but that required extra effort so he didn't.  
  
It really wasn't fair. He had to do everything. Today alone, he was worked more than any man should ever be. Ino had kicked him out of bed four in the morning so he could tend the deer on his family land. Then at 5:30 a.m., he stopped by Ino's maiden home to get some flowers for deliveries. Then at 6:30 a.m., he left Konoha with his fellow squad to capture a missing-nin and didn't get home until 2 p.m. He had THOUGHT he would get some rest but who knew Ino would kick him out of the house again to do more flower deliveries at 6 p.m.?  
  
"MENDOKUSEE!!!!!!!"  
  
He knew he should've failed the chuunin exam when he had the chance and lived the rest of his life as a plain ninja. Then he noticed that nice patch of grass near the side of the road. A little nap wouldn't hurt. He hurried to the soft spot and stretched out on it. He gave a tired sigh and completely sank back into nature's cushion. He wondered vaguely if his behavior was passive aggressive. Then, his thoughts were of happier days filled with clouds and hours of nothing to do.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Later on that week, Ino would complain to some girls on how Shikamaru is utterly unromantic and that he didn't even kiss her when they showered together. That would be the actual start of the story........  
  
TBC (eventually, when I'm properly motivated)  
  
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Hn? You're still here? *SIIGH* Finally....Owarimashita...chapter 2 at least. I hope readers (if you're out there), will find it enjoyable. I know just how poor Shika feels. I feel overwhelmed with work too. _  
  
Dang this chapter is even longer than the first. Dang....no wonder it's so early in the morn..time to go to bed.  
  
I hope this chapter isn't less believable than the first because the single reoccurring compliment from people was that it was realistic. But is it just me or does the mood of ch.2 feels different from ch1?  
  
Until next time then.  
  
ShikaIno forever!! 


	3. Trouble In Paradise

For anyone who is still reading, sorry for taking so long to update. I've had a hellish few weeks with tons of work. Hopefully this chapter is also enjoyable. It's the transition chapter to hopefully some future angst.  
  
Otanoshimi ni kusasai ne~  
  
And Naruto still doesn't belong to me. Darn.  
  
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Ch. 3 Trouble in Paradise  
  
Saturday afternoons meant Ino was out with friends at their favorite teashop. It didn't matter if Shikamaru was around or on a mission. If the weather was nice and the first half of the day was already over, Ino would be found at the said teashop chatting with friends over bubble tea and cake. This Saturday was no different, although, one aspect of it was unusual. This time, Shikamaru decided to go into town also while Ino was having her girl time. Shikamaru wouldn't be so foolish to join Ino and her friends. It wasn't like him to be the clingy husband of a beautiful woman. Instead, he lurked about and did whatever it is he did whenever Ino wasn't around.  
  
*****  
  
Ino sat in the teashop and sighed in an exaggerated manner when she leaned her arms on the table. Her friends knew it was cue to ask Ino to share her woes. Tenten decided to be the first to take the bait. "Is something the matter?" she asked with a smile.  
  
Ino sighed again and played with the decorative strawberry on her cake despondently before lifting it up with her fork and putting it into her mouth. She chewed the fruit slowly. From the look on her face, she probably didn't even taste what she was eating. Her buddies shared knowing looks before fulfilling their role as her friend.  
  
"Come on Ino", Tenten prodded. "If something is bothering you, you should tell us. That's what friends are for ne?" She grinned cheerfully.  
  
"Y-yea......", Hinata joined in nervously. "We're here for you.... We'll do our best to lessen your unhappiness, Ino-chan." Her eyes avoided direct contact like they always did and she was twiddling her index fingers again.  
  
Ino rolled her eyes. "Nothing's wrong!" she protested. "Everything is just peachy!" She cut a large piece of cake apart from the rest with her fork and shoveled it into her mouth. Yup, her friends knew, something was definitely bothering her.  
  
Mayu, the neighborhood scandalmonger who forcefully inserted herself into their tight-knit group butted into their conversation. "Oh I bet it's about Shikamaru-kun!", she gushed. "He's the only one who can get Ino-chan like this!"  
  
Tenten and Ino found themselves wondering once again why Mayu keeps showing up uninvited to their Saturday meetings. They would've said something to her but Hinata insisted that they "be kind to her" because "Mayu-san must be very lonely".  
  
Ino licked the whipped cream off her fork then started to tap it annoyingly against her cup. She had that faraway look in her eyes again.  
  
Tenten's patience was wearing thin. "OK," she slapped a hand down on the table, "spill the beans because you're starting to bug me!"  
  
Ino blinked in surprise as her eyes refocused. She looked away in embarrassment and quickly set her fork down. "Well....it is Shikamaru..."  
  
Tenten smirked. "Yes yes tell us all the details," she said. "He's a horrible husband, he's selfish in bed, he's a lazy bum, and we'll all hate him with you because we're on your side." She tossed her fork into the air and balanced it on a finger expertly like she would a kunai.  
  
Mayu giggled with a gossip-hungry gleam in her eyes. It was apparent that she wanted in on the information. The only one of the group not ready to discuss Shikamaru's shortfalls was the compassionate white-eyed girl. Hinata's reaction to what Tenten said was a shocked look on her face. "Shikamaru-kun isn't a horrible man like that!" she exclaimed. "You...you sh- shouldn't say things like that..."  
  
Tenten gave her a reassuring smile. "Hinata-chan, I'm only joking." She finished with a wink. With a flick of her wrist, the fork she was balancing flew out and stuck perfectly in her piece of cake.  
  
"A-ah...g-gomen nasai...."  
  
Tenten patted the shy Hyuuga girl on the back to show there were no hurt feelings before turning her attention back to Ino. She could tell Ino was already on the brink of pouring everything out to them. All they needed to do was to give her a few nudges in the right direction. Ino was never any good at keeping things bottled up.  
  
The new wife picked up her fork again and twirled it between her fingers before finally staring to speak.  
  
"Well...you guys know how Shikamaru is...."  
  
*****  
  
He sneezed loudly. Maybe the pollen in spring was getting to him. Shikamaru rubbed his nose and continued his aimless stroll down the street. The afternoon sun felt warm and comfortable on his skin and he wished he was laying on his favorite piece of grass field underneath his favorite piece of sky. With such a nice weather, the clouds were cotton-white and airily fluffy. Cloud watching was guaranteed to be superb. If only he could lay down and stare at them for hours. But actually, he did have time to burn. But he just couldn't bring himself to enjoy his favorite pastime. He would be lounging on his back right now if his antsy mood didn't make him restless.  
  
A brat shoved past him while running about without adult supervision. Shikamaru snorted in annoyance. Everything annoyed him right now. Even the sunny weather seemed unbecoming and dark to him. And the source of it all was the woman he loves-the only person in the world who exercised enough influence to actually bother him so.  
  
It didn't escape his keen sense of awareness that Ino hadn't been herself recently. She's been acting depressed and he often came home to find her moping around. It wasn't like her to lack life's vigor. And while he might not be cognizant of the reason behind her unhappiness, he wasn't an idiot who took no notice of her change in behavior. The way she felt distant to him and the reduction in the frequency of her shows of affection all alarmed him. Ino's cold-shoulder attitude has gotten to the point where it's unbearable for him. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what her problem was. That got under his skin like nothing ever did- like a thorn in his side that was just out of his reach. A man as genius as him can't figure out his own wife. What kind of a joke was he? How can he be trusted to anticipate the moves of his enemies, when, he hasn't even managed to get a grasp on how the mind of a woman he's known all his life functions? Some "genius strategist" he was.  
  
Shikamaru exhaled heavily and slumped his shoulders. He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued drag his feet down the busy street. His mind was so focused that he didn't even take notice of the tantalizing aroma coming from street vendors, even though he hadn't lunch yet.  
  
Ino's aloofness to him couldn't be blamed on his lack of effort either. Although it was his instinct to avoid confrontation, he had forced himself to attempt to wheedle information out of her. All he got himself were multiple bruises and front seat to Ino's verbal abuse. She had yelled at him about everything but the real problem. This was all very troublesome. Hell, his situation sank past troublesome five levels ago. He was in major need of help. And that's why he came into town with Ino today. He hoped time spent with friends would cheer her up. And if her friends would help shed some light on the cause of his dire situation, all the better it would be.  
  
He took a look at his shadow on the ground to assess what time it was. The direction his shadow pointed in showed Shikamaru that it was pretty late in the afternoon. His brow bunched in distress. He should probably go pick Ino up at the teashop now, but, he feared how she would receive him when he does. He took a hand out of his pocket to scratch his head. It was time to take it like a Nara man.  
  
*****  
  
The girls had a look of utter disbelief on their faces as their mouths moved like dying fish. "You mean...." Tenten asked for confirmation, "he's never ever told you that he loves you?!"  
  
Ino's eyes flickered away unhappily before nodding. As incredulous as that sounds, it was the sad truth. She had a hard time admitting that to them because it not only made her look bad but also made her marriage seem like a sham. Last thing she wanted was for people to think Shikamaru married her at kunai-point because he got her pregnant or something as shameful as that. It was then that Ino noticed everyone was staring at her stomach.  
  
"HE DIDN'T MARRY ME BECAUSE HE GOT ME PREGNANT OK?!" She yelled in her defense.  
  
"W-we know that, Ino-chan," said Hinata with a blush.  
  
Mayu looked pale as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of her face. "But......you two erm..haven't had sex since...since...." She was unable to finish her sentence.  
  
Ino bowed her head even more as she nodded.  
  
Hinata struggled with herself a bit before mustering enough courage to ask her. "And you can......actually count the number of times Shikamaru-kun has kissed you?"  
  
Ino's head dropped all the way down in shame. If only some catastrophic natural disaster would happen right at that moment and distract everyone from their attempt to wrap their minds around the concept of her pitiful version of marriage.  
  
Tenten forced a smile on her face. "There there, I'm sure there's a reason...maybe he's too lazy to um....do stuff like that." She gave Ino a few hearty slaps on the back. But Ino's mood didn't pick up in the slightest bit.  
  
Mayu, who recovered from her surprise first, immediately slipped into her gossip mode. "Maybe he's gay! And he only married you to cover that up!"  
  
Hinata looked bewildered as Tenten narrowed her eyes at Mayu.  
  
"What?" Mayu asked as she looked around. "He does seem unnaturally close to that fat guy."  
  
Ino looked up from her tea to fix Mayu with her patented hard look. "Don't call Chouji 'fat'," she hissed, "he's big boned."  
  
Mayu snorted and mumbled something before digging into her cake.  
  
"Maybe...Shikamaru-kun is very subtle in the way he s-shows his emotions.." Hinata offered her positive outlook.  
  
Ino lifted her head slightly and gave the sweet girl a wry smile.  
  
"But..." Tenten sucked on her fork thoughtfully. "I thought men were supposed to be really....uhhh..." She was trying to think of a better way to say it. "I mean.....aren't guys supposed to really like .....S. E. X.?" She looked around embarrassed after spelling it out. "Don't guys always have 'that' on the mind?" Her face was bright red. Everyone turned their eyes to Ino. She was the only one of the bunch who had any experience.  
  
Ino grew flustered. "That's what I thought too!" Then she glared down at her cup of bubble tea. "But Shikamaru usually acts like he doesn't really give a care. I think he likes it. He acts like he likes it. But then he never really tries to initiate it either...." Ino's voice trailed off until she was so quiet that she was talking only to herself. Suddenly, she looked up. "Come to think of it, my 'sexy Ino jutsu' never worked on him either." She said.  
  
Tenten started giggling. "Y-you've actually tried that on Shikamaru?!" she managed to gasp out between laughs.  
  
Ino looked offended. "No its not like that," her face was about as red as it could get. "During the first chuunin test I tried it on Neji but Shikamaru was also there. He didn't seem affected at all." Ino went back to eating her cake to avoid looking at everyone.  
  
"Did it affect Neji?" Tenten asked. She was pretty curious.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
Tenten sighed. "Nothing affects that fatalistic idiot." She gripped. Hinata and Ino drew from inference that Neji still hasn't warmed up to her.  
  
"You can't wait for him forever, you know." Ino told Tenten.  
  
"I know," Tenten said in a melancholy voice, "but never mind about my problems ok?" And that was the end of that.  
  
"Errr....What about you Hinata?" Ino asked brightly to change the subject.  
  
Hinata gripped the hem of her shirt. "Na-Na-Naruto-k-kun.....he..."  
  
Ino sighed at her. "Hinata, its hopeless to go after him. He's with Sasuke."  
  
"I-I know," Hinata stuttered, "but I really a-admire Naruto-kun. He was a-able to c-change himself after all. I want to be l-like Na-Naruto- kun."  
  
"Trust me Hinata, one day you will become the type of person you want to be. Meanwhile, why don't you try going out with Kiba?" Ino had a mischievous smile.  
  
"K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata looked astounded.  
  
Tenten and Ino wondered if Hinata really didn't know. Nobody can be that oblivious, right?  
  
"Don't tell me you never realized that Kiba is totally in love with you. He ONLY practically stalks you." Tenten exclaimed.  
  
"B-but we're friends!"  
  
"That's how it starts!" Ino piped up. "Shikamaru and I were friends!"  
  
Everyone stopped talking as Hinata started to think back on all the years she's known Kiba. He was always kind and protective towards her. But it must be because he's her teammate she decided. The introspective silence was broken when Mayu started to talk again.  
  
Being the nosey person she was, Mayu leaned over the table to get closer to Ino before asking, "How IS Shikamaru-kun in bed? Tell me what you can from what little experience you have."  
  
Hinata's eyes darted around nervously. The blush on her cheeks contrasted sharply with her pale skin. "I...I don't think I should listen to this..."  
  
Ino blushed indignantly. "He's VERY good in bed, ok?" She said defensively.  
  
*****  
  
None of them noticed that Shikamaru was standing at the door of the teashop. It was a position where he could hear their conversation easily. It took all his willpower to restrain himself from running away when he heard the topic of the girls' conversation. How could Ino bring herself to share such private aspects of their lives? Especially since he's asked her many times not to? She should know how private of a person he was. The corners of his lips bent downwards in a frown. Shikamaru felt that he was getting.....slightly angry.  
  
*****  
  
Mayu pressed on with her barrage of questions shamelessly. Her unnatural desire for juicy details distracted her from noticing the man scowling with murderous intent.  
  
"So," she asked breathlessly, "Is he big?"  
  
Ino dropped her fork at that question. She was about to chew the nosey woman out for her rudeness when there was a warm pressure on her shoulder. The gentle pressure was caused by a large male hand that gave her a loving squeeze.  
  
"Ino, it's getting late. I think we should go home now."  
  
Ino looked up and saw Shikamaru standing behind her with an unreadable expression. He stared ahead unseeingly and didn't bother to acknowledge anyone other than Ino. The girls couldn't help but train their eyes on Shikamaru. As they stared, they sorted through all the things Ino told them about his behavior towards her. For their friend's sake, Tenten and Hinata truly hoped Shikamaru wasn't as loveless as Ino made him out to be.  
  
Ino brushed his hand off her shoulder coolly and picked up her bag. The hurt look that flitted across his face didn't disappear fast enough to escape the notice of Hinata and Tenten, who were shocked at Ino's cold demeanor towards Shikamaru.  
  
The girls watched the interaction between Ino and Shikamaru with their shinobi-trained precision. Every gesture, every word spoken, were filed into their memory bank. If they assess that Shikamaru was devoid of love for Ino, they'll make him pay and free her from her marital binding.  
  
Shikamaru took Ino's hand and pried her fingers open to take the bag from her. Her cerulean eyes narrowed at him and he took a step back unconsciously.  
  
"I can carry my own bag," she seethed under his gaze.  
  
He looked at her blankly before holding the bag out to her obediently. Ino's expression was that of disgust when she yanked her bag out of his hand. Without another word, she brushed past him and went out the teashop. Shikamaru seemed to wither a bit.  
  
"Men...dokusee...." He said without his usual conviction. There was a hint of sadness in his voice.  
  
Tenten and Hinata exchanged worried looks. It looked worse than they thought.  
  
Shikamaru turned slowly until he faced the girls. His poker face cracked. Cold rage was evident in his face as he glared at Mayu. Looking at her pissed him off. 'The nosey bitch', he thought. The table shuddered and dishes clinked when he suddenly slammed his hand down on the tabletop. Other patrons of the teashop looked up in alarm at the noise.  
  
"Look," he spat venomously, "If you're so curious about the size of my dick you can spy on me in the shower. But I warn you, you'll probably be plagued with sexual fantasies of me for the rest of your life." Shikamaru gave her a malevolent sneer. "But you also have to live with the fact that I'll never touch a disgusting animal like you."  
  
He slid the chair Ino was sitting in under the table in all roughness and strode out the door in heavy steps. He didn't stay long enough to see Mayu cover her red face in shame. The intelligent part of him told him that he shouldn't have taken his stress out on the nosey woman. But like hell he gives a damn.  
  
After he left, Hinata was still wringing the napkin in her hands in nervousness. Although she wasn't the target of his anger, the anxiety she suffered from Shikamaru's show of uncharacteristic disposition was beyond her tolerance level.  
  
"I'll walk you home, Hinata-chan" said Tenten.  
  
Hinata nodded mutely and the shaking of her hands lessened in severity.  
  
"T-ten.....ten....?"  
  
"What is it?" Tenten replied.  
  
Hinata lowered her eyes. "I....d-don't think....Shi-Shikamaru-kun doesn't...l- love Ino-chan."  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"Shikamaru-ku-kun....seems....to be in...pain...He's sad....and hurt..."  
  
"You think so?" Tenten responded. "Well so do I. I could tell he loves her by the way he acts around her. But you know how Ino doesn't really get subtlety. Her family is the straightforward type who says what's on their mind and shows what they feel. Hopefully, Shikamaru will pick up on that."  
  
Neither of them noticed that Mayu had slunk away.  
  
*****  
  
It was the responsibility of the Hokage of a village to maintain the well being of all its inhabitants. In order to do that, the Hokage must make sure her immediate right-hand underlings were alert and ready all missions. That was why the recent strangeness in her favorite strategist's behavior didn't escape her observation. Something was definitely amiss.  
  
He still did all his duties. But the way he went about doing them was all off. First of all, he didn't complain half as much about his missions. His lack of grumbling alone indicated there was something of greater importance troubling him. Second of all, his mental processes were sluggish. By his standards of course. It now took him 3 to 4 minutes to plot out game plans for his missions when he used to pull brilliant schemes out of his ass without so much a thought. Third of all......well, he was doing 'third of all' again.  
  
"Shikamaru?"  
  
He had a vacant look on his face while he watched the not-so- fascinating wall of her office with vapid interest. Tsunade couldn't stand it when he spaced out like that. Was this seemingly brain-dead man really the renowned child prodigy of Konoha?  
  
"SHI. KA. MA. RU."  
  
The man turned his head. "Hm?" He looked pissed off. But he always looked pissed off.  
  
Tsunade crushed the stress-ball she was rotating in her hand. It was the third one that day to suffer such a fate. But it was no big loss to her since Shizune bought them. Besides, she never thought those were any good at relieving stress anyways. She'd pick sake over it any day. "Just what exactly is wrong with you?" Godaime asked in the same tone she uses for interrogations. "Somebody could've stabbed you with a kunai and you would've bled to death because you wouldn't have felt it."  
  
"Che. whatever." His entire frame slackened and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Got missions for me?" He lifted his head with what seemed to be great effort to look at her with unconcerned eyes.  
  
Tsunade raised a slender eyebrow. "You, of all people, asking for missions?" She drew her lips back in an vicious grin. She now knew what his problem was. "Are you trying to avoid going home? Trouble in newlywed paradise?" She asked.  
  
Shikamaru glowered then dropped his weight on the leather couch in the Hokage office and kicked up his feet. "Ugh I'm so tired," he complained. "I'm gonna take a nap." At that, he closed his eyes and forgot all about her. Even with his eyes closed he looked sullen. She decided that Shikamaru was one of those few people who can't manage to look angelic even in sleep.  
  
Tsunade wrinkled her nose at him. "You can't avoid facing confrontations by going to sleep," she said. Shikamaru's head lolled back on the armrest of the couch and a rumbling snore slipped out of his lax jaws. Ok, maybe in this case he can.  
  
Tsunade narrowed her eyes as a pensive mood came over her. This settles it. It was up to her to fix Shikamaru's relationship with Ino because his home life was affecting his work performance. She's not a big fan of meddling. Mostly because people already come to her with troubles too often for her liking. But the amount of influence the gloomy but reliable jounin exercises on Konoha can't be underestimated. The future of Konoha has a lot riding on the quality of Shikamaru's life. If all was well with him, he can work faster and carry a greater load of missions. If all wasn't well with him.... Tsunade paused her train of thought to look at the napping Shikamaru. He was now sleeping on his stomach. She shook her head. Unless she's able to unearth another intellectually gifted person like Shikamaru, he's much too important to let go to waste.  
  
When things were going well with Ino, he had a zest for life, in Shikamaru's quantity at least. It motivated him to go through missions with effective precision using the least amount of time because he wanted to go home to Ino A.S.A.P. He had also started to show up early for missions, which, can also attributed to being married to Ino. It left the job of waking him up each day to her, which is a nice change of pace for everybody. Most of the jounins were pretty sick of having to literally drag Shikamaru out of bed for his assignments. And Ino's positive influence on him didn't end there. Tsunade harbored the suspicion that the only reason Shikamaru is a jounin was because Ino wanted him to be.  
  
Tsunade pulled a blank scroll out from her many piles of paperwork and started to write. If Shikamaru couldn't help himself, she would help him. Her plan would be implemented tonight. She's not going to bother to tell him her plan or the role she expects him to take in it. He'll figure that out easily enough. Whether or not he chooses to take the initiative is up to him. He's the one that's married, not her. When Tsunade finished her writing her message, she stamped it with her Hokage seal that proved her identity. "Shikamaru wake up!" Tsunade threw a broken piece of the stress-ball at him. "Its time to go home!"  
  
The jagged piece gave him a slight laceration when it bounced off his forehead. After a long pause, Shikamaru stirred. "................ow."  
  
"Go home, Shikamaru." Tsunade commanded. "This is an order from your Hokage."  
  
"Why should I?" He grumbled. Then he finally confessed what was in his heart. "She doesn't want me there." Shikamaru tried to keep the loneliness out of his voice in that admission. He licked his finger then rubbed that finger against his shallow cut. "ow...ow...ow..."  
  
"She'll be angrier if you're not home."  
  
He scoffed. "Either way I'm a dead man. I'd rather hide and prolong my life for as long as I can."  
  
Tsunade sat up straight in her seat. "Go home, and I promise things will improve as long as you try."  
  
Shikamaru immediately picked up on the vibe that there were more than what she's saying. He observed Tsunade with the corner of his eyes while trying to gauge her hidden meaning. 'Is she planning something?' he thought suspiciously.  
  
The godaime of Konoha smiled when she saw the cunning gleam in Shikamaru's eyes. So it would seem his mind was still sharp. "Now leave before I decide to baby you like the grandson I don't have." She threatened.  
  
There was a horrified look on Shikamaru's face as he backed away towards the door. Then he decided he wasn't moving fast enough so he turned and ran instead.  
  
Tsunade pouted at his reaction. She's not that bad with kids is she? Kids don't drink sake right? And you can't hug them too hard because her superhuman strength would crush any child. Anyways, that's not important right now. "Izumo! Get in here!" she yelled.  
  
There was the sound of scuffling and then the heavy steps of a man running. "Hai Hokage-sama?" Izumo called out as he flung open the door. He caught the scroll reflexively when Tsunade threw it at him. "This is..." he questioned.  
  
"Deliver it to Shikamaru's house."  
  
Izumo couldn't help but let his expression crumple. "Uhhh.....wasn't Shikamaru-san just here?"  
  
"Yes. Your point?"  
  
Izumo smiled nervously and made sure he kept his voice respectful. "Couldn't you have just handed it to him when he was here?"  
  
Tsunade's face was a blank. "No."  
  
"Errr...ok then....." He bowed then left the room. The moment he closed the door behind him the muttering started. "Why couldn't she have just given it to him while he was here? I bet she's doing this on purpose because she hates me," he grumbled. "She always makes me and Kotetsu carry the paper work around while she naps. Its so unfair she-"  
  
"You be the Hokage and I'll deliver the papers then." Said the voice that floated out of the office behind him.  
  
Izumo froze. He gave a jittery laugh to mask his surprise. "Don't make such a joke Hokage-sama. I'll deliver the scroll right now!" he said in an obsequious manner before disappearing in a blast of nin smoke. And this time, he remembered not to mutter to himself. Just to be extra safe, he also kept his mind a careful blank in case she could also read minds.  
  
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Whew so this chapter is finally finished. There's actually a side story chapter right before this chapter but I didn't finish it. So maybe I'll post it as a separate story later on. I've been wanting to work on my only other fic (the short snippet one) because it actually has a lot of potential but....it seems like sucha huge endeavor I just dunno if I have time to start it or not. We'll see I guess.  
  
Until next time then.  
  
p.s.  
  
Like all the other chapters. I might edit it later on and re-post it. 


	4. Tsunadesama is Off Her Rocker

I apologize for taking so long with this chapter but you have no idea how busy I've been. Next week is finals but I decided to squeeze in a quick chapter because of all the nice reviews I've been getting. When I started writing this fic, I thought I was writing solely for my own enjoyment, which is why I never bothered with posting translations of the little bit of Japanese terms I used in this fic. But to my surprise, people were actually reading this fic!!! (OH WOW!) Without more useless ramblings, Otanoshimi ni kudasai

p.s.

It's very irritating that fanfic.net keeps changing the format of the structure of this fic.

* * *

Ch. 4 Tsunade-sama is Off Her Rocker

He stood in the bushes, peering through the windows of the house. There were no lights on. Either nobody was home or the mistress of the house was already asleep. With the assistance of the moonlight, the dark haired man managed to make out the faint details of the barely-visible room inside. He leaned closer to the window and cupped his hands around his eyes to make sure the coast was clear before making his move. 

He was sick of waiting in the bushes. It seemed like much of his life was spent hiding in the bushes where he endured the prodding branches and creeping critters that skitter over his body. He stepped out of the bushes, patted himself and picked a leaf out of his hair. 

'What am I doing?!' he thought, 'This is MY house so why am I creeping around like I shouldn't be here?!" He walked to the front door and took his keys out of his pocket. It jingled annoyingly as he poked around blindly for the keyhole. Then, there was success. The key pushed in with minor resistance and he turned it with a satisfying click.

He opened the front door carefully and stepped into the house with caution. His hand was gentle as he closed the door slowly in a way that wouldn't make a noise. The last thing he wanted was to wake Ino up. She was after all, the reason behind his sneakiness. If she was already pissed at him, he didn't need to enrage her by waking her from her slumber. Shikamaru doubted that she'd be very glad that he was home. 

He stepped on the heel of his left shoe and slipped his left foot out. After freeing his left foot, he tried to wiggle his right foot free before realizing his shortcut method actually took more effort. Giving up, he bent down and pulled his shoe off with his hands. This time, he remembered to slide his shoes into the proper place that Ino designated as the shoe-rack instead of leaving it at the door. 

Shikamaru was tiptoeing across the room on his sock-clad feet when he noticed a plate covered in saran-wrap sitting on the kitchen table. He went to the table to investigate. His fingers lifted a corner of the saran-wrap and he smiled a satisfied smile. Despite Ino's recent hostility towards him, she still cared enough to make him dinner. Perhaps his situation wasn't as dire as he thought.

Although he most certainly _walked_ across the kitchen on his own two feet to get a pair of chopsticks, the sensation he had was that of floating. Shikamaru felt like he was gliding lightly on his toes even as he walked back to the kitchen table. He sat down and marveled at how a tiny show of affection from Ino can have such a drastic effect on him. He would laugh at how terrible of a state his masculinity was in if he wasn't still high on bliss. 

He muttered a quick "Itadakimasu" before shoveling the food into his mouth. Shikamaru ate quickly and cleanly. "Gochisousan" he said after he swallowed his last bite. He paused to sample the aftertaste in his mouth and came to the conclusion that Ino was still a terrible cook. Good thing he's not picky. He eats because he has to in order to continue living. The concept of "favorite" and "hated" foods eluded him. If Ino felt compelled to cook, he'll eat whatever she makes without much fuss. As long as her cuisine didn't have any negative side effects such as physical discomfort that is. What was actually important to him was the fact that Ino considered him to have enough notable worth to take the time out of her life and cook for him. 

It was during this moment of exhilaration that his nose caught a whiff of a strange stink. He looked around and sniffed experimentally before realizing the stench was coming from him. The jounin leaned his head down on a hand and sighed. He had missions all day long. It was no wonder that he smelled. Shikamaru decided to take his shower in the bathroom found in the hallway, instead, of the one in their bedroom so that Ino wouldn't be bothered by the sound of running water. He really does want Ino to have a good night's rest. 

* * *

After his shower, Shikamaru's hair draped over his muscled shoulders in loose velvety black locks. He ran his fingers through his hair and decided that it was dry enough for bed. Since the fogged up mirror was making it hard for him to see his reflection, he decided to rely on his fingers to check for facial hair stubbles. His fingers slid across his smooth cheeks and stroked over his defined chin. Not one prick from any fuzz. He was now presentable enough to be in the same bed as Ino. 

He walked out of the steam filled bathroom in only his boxers and was greeted by the perfect temperature of a night in spring. The cool air felt refreshing against his hot damp skin as he walked down the hall to the master bedroom he shares with Ino. His hand tightened nervously around the doorknob. Shikamaru suppressed his rising fears and opened the door.

* * *

The pale white light of the bright moon streamed into the dark bedroom from the large windows. The beams of moonlight reflected brightly off the white sheets of the bed, lighting up the woman sprawled on it like an artwork on display. And once again, Shikamaru found himself unable to breath in her presence. The sound of the steady beating of his heart thudded in his ears. She was just so beautiful. Her blond hair pooled freely around her head like strands of halo, framing her sleeping face. Under the moonlight, her skin shined with a cool radiance and her hair looked more silver than blond. It was the combination of her milky complexion and heavy lashes that rested on her cheeks, that reminded him of the princesses in the fairytales he never believed in. He might start believing in fairytales now. His success in getting Ino to marry him was almost as unbelievable as much of those stories. Except, in this story, the princess wasn't a feeble-minded nitwit devoid of any purpose except to further the plot of the story. Nor did she ever needed to wait for a savior prince. And instead of Prince Charming on his white stallion, she settled for a stable boy in fishnet shirt. His family traditionally raised deer. 

She was wearing a spaghetti-strap thin cotton nightie, which was a surprise to him. Ino usually preferred to sleep in tank top and boxers. Shikamaru saw how one strap of her nightie had slipped off her shoulder in her sleep. The loose strap revealed her creamy flesh and he found himself unable to look away from her partially revealed breasts. He swallowed with effort. 'Just like Ino…..A tease even in her sleep.' He thought. 

He slowly crawled into his side of the bed, which was whatever space that wasn't already taken up by her. She wasn't the most graceful of sleepers. He's never told her but more than once, she's given him a few bruises in her state of sleep when they lay in bed together. 

Shikamaru rolled to his side and propped his head up with an arm. He laid still in that position, never taking his eyes off Ino. His eyes were trained on her, watching her intently with warm loving eyes. Without thinking, he reached out and gently cupped her face. There was a brief moment of panic, but when Ino didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon, he let himself relax. 

Ino's cheeks felt soft against his roughened palm. He couldn't resist himself. After a brief internal struggle, he allowed his calloused thumb to stroke over her luscious lips. A soft whimper escaped from her before she settled back down into a deep sleep. 

The way she laid there and the cute noises she made induced the same hunger she always brought out in him. There was the familiar tightening in his boxer shorts as a pleasurable sensation pooled in his groin in anticipation. His body was warning him that if he didn't stop now, he would end up losing all semblance of control. But her hair was tantalizing him. He couldn't bring himself to retreat to his lonely half of the bed without touching it first. Shikamaru caught a lock of her hair and carefully rubbed it between his fingers. It was soft and delicate. He leaned closer to her and caught the scent of her fruity shampoo. Saliva welled in his mouth as he silently lusted after his wife.   
  
"Ino," he said in a low voice " I love you." Why is it that he can never bring himself to say it to her when she's awake to hear him? 

He scooted his body closer to her and spooned against her side. "I'll always be here for you." He promised out loud, albeit quietly. His fingers tenderly framed a lock of her bangs around her face. 

The bulge of his desire pressed against her thigh. 

Ino opened her mouth and a sleepy snort escaped from her. Her body started to move and Shikamaru froze fearfully. Would she be angry to find him rubbing up against her in his aroused state? Would she accuse him of molesting her in her sleep? _Was_ he molesting her in her sleep? His brain raced with all the possible scenarios that might occur and none of them with a happy ending for him.

Ino turned, then suddenly swung her arm. Her bent elbow slammed into his face and left him gasping in pain. His nose stung with the aftershock of the impact, which continued to bring reflexive tears into his eyes. Was that for pressing up against her?

Ino's eyes were still closed as she licked her lips. She mumbled incoherently the dialogue in her dream before she sunk back down into the mattress. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized she was still asleep. 

Her hands flexed a few times in search of the pillow she loved to snuggle with. And when she didn't find it, she grabbed Shikamaru and pulled herself on top of him.  
  
Shikamaru resigned himself to his fate. 'Yup,' he thought, 'tonight was going to be a long and fretful night.'

He was too distracted to ever have noticed the scroll with the Hokage seal, sitting on a windowsill. 

* * *

There was that brief moment of disoriented confusion as Ino neared the state of wakefulness. She was sleeping on something solid that radiated comforting warmth. It was hard, but not so hard that it was uncomfortable to be on top of. She started to feel around. Ino ran her hands on whatever parts she could touch. It was hard and velvety under her palms. She could feel grooves, no, the defined separation of muscles on a male body. It was-

The body under her stirred. She heard a yawn. 

"I had no idea you preferred me unconscious and vulnerable." A sleepy voice said teasingly.

Ino blushed and pushed herself up from Shikamaru's body. "Morning" she said.

He gave her a crooked smile before replying, "Too early for that." He closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Since she was already used to his idle behavior, she decided she would let him lay for a bit while she did what needed to be done. Besides, she was supposed to be mad at him. Therefore she should ignore him and let him wallow in his own self-defeating laziness.

* * *

One hour and seventeen minutes. It has been exactly one hour and seventeen minutes since she got out of bed. She's already showered, made breakfast (no matter what the color, eggs were still eggs), did laundry, and checked for missions. She found herself confused again, over her recent dry spell in missions. There hasn't been anything higher than a B ranked mission delegated to her for some time. It's been so long since she's had a decent mission that she was even getting suspicious. Was the Hokage-sama dissatisfied with her performance or was Konoha having financial troubles? 

She was about to wash the skillet in her hand when her eyes caught sight of a green scroll bearing the distinctive mark of the Hokage. Finally, a mission! Ino dropped the skillet in excitement and raced to the window. Any scroll wrapped up that secretively and delivered directly to her house with the personal mark of the Hokage must be an S classed mission. She pushed the window up and snatched the scroll then danced to the living room with a spring in her steps. She eagerly broke the seal and pulled the scroll open.

"How to make your man the lover-boy you want him to be:" she read aloud. "The guide to charms, spells, and chakra manipulation that'll make him shed his inhibitions????" she finished with a note of panic in her voice. There was a long confusion induced pause before Ino set the scroll down and rubbed her eyes. She picked it up again to confirm if what she read was actually what was written. 

_Had Tsunade-sama finally lost her nut? What kind of "mission" was this? _

Ino was unable to decide what type of reaction she should have. Her eyes started to skim the contents of the scroll again.

'Method I: How to voodoo what you do want out of your hubby with only tissues and etc.' she read silently. That was when she heard the sound of Shikamaru walking down the stairs. The thudding of his slow approaching trod caused Ino to panic completely. Why was Shikamaru getting out of bed so early (for him) without her prompting? She grabbed at the loose scroll and rolled it up into a crumpled ball then forced it under a couch. 

Just then, a rumpled looking Shikamaru walked into the room. "Ino?" he asked in a confused tone when he saw her flustered state. He adjusted his boxers then scratched his head. His untied hair was a messy mop around his head. Ino thought he looked adorably huggable.

"Er….I made breakfast! Go eat!" she practically yelled at him. He wore his usual expression as he raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more. He obediently turned and sleepily went towards the kitchen. 

Ino breathed a sigh of relief, then pouted towards the direction of Shikamaru. Maybe voodoo really was the cure she needed to make her unromantic oaf get off his Nara butt. But she would have to put off studying the scroll for until Shikamaru was out of the house. Truth be told, Ino wasn't too sure about how she felt about…."magical" methods. 'It wouldn't be the same as slipping someone a drug to make them do what you wanted them to do, right?' she wondered worriedly. 'But it must not be illegal if Tsunade-sama was the one who had the scroll delivered to her.' She decided.

"Ino," Shikamaru called out to her from the kitchen. "Is the brown stuff the eggs?"

Ino twitched in self-reproaching embarrassment and refused to give him an answer.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Shikamaru came to the conclusion that the brown stuff without a consistent texture _was_ the eggs and started to chow down.

* * *

Ino sighed then flopped backwards on the couch tiredly. 'Why couldn't Shikamaru be like other men?' she asked herself as she stared up at the ceiling. He rarely kisses, he never snuggles, he doesn't say the three little words that makes their relationship sturdier, and unbelievably, they've never went out on a real date. Ino was tired of seeing happy affectionate couples crawling on top of each other and sucking each other's face off whenever she left the house. It made her jealous and wonder what was wrong with her own relationship with Shikamaru. She hated having to doubt his feelings towards her. But don't actions speak louder than words? Well, in her case, there were no "actions" and nor were there "words". What made it all more mortifying was the fact that Sasuke was sweeter towards Naruto than Shikamaru towards her. If even that man made of ice could change in a loving relationship, why wasn't her Shikamaru transforming into a charming husband? Maybe it was because that implied actually "trying", and he just couldn't bring himself to do anything that required energy expenditure. 

Ino's mind wandered back to the scroll. She was sure those cheesy methods wouldn't work. There were after all, no such things as magic and voodoos. But, it wouldn't hurt to give it try she guessed. She _has_ been rather bored recently, what with the lack of missions and all. There was the insane desire in her to sample a Casanova version of Shikamaru and it was making her irrational. 

Wouldn't it be nice to be romanced once in a while?

TBC (When finals is over)

* * *

Because two people have asked for translations, here it is.

Ch. 1

Mendokusee (less polite form of Japanese): Troublesome

Ittekuru (Less formal form of Ittekimasu): "I'm leaving but I'll be returning" (What you say when you're leaving the house)

Itterasshai (polite "female" form): (what u say when someone is leaving) be safe, come home soon (something like that I guess. No real English equivalent)

Uso: no way, a lie

Ch.2

Gomen: sorry

Warukatta: "my bad" (closest English equivalent)

Onna: woman

Ch.3

-kun: honorific for peers

gomen nasai: sorry

-chan: used to address friends and girls and kids.

Ch.4

Itadakimasu (polite "female" form): you say it before you start eating

Gochisousan (less formal "male" form): You say it after you're done eating.

I think that's all of the Japanese (I hope). I must go deliver mother's day present to my grandma now


	5. Battle of Wits: Ino, Don’t Challenge The...

Errr...Hi people. Sorry for taking so long with my next chapter but I'm always really busy over summers. This chapter is a bit rushed but I hope it can provide some entertainment. (Yes I will edit all my chapters later so dun bother with telling me that this chapter is iffy)  
  
To GentleWaterSoul: I was writing this chapter when I got ur review and it gave me the energy to finish it in one sitting LOL Hope ya like it! Thank you for reading this fic and reviewing and waiting so patiently. Oh, have you checked out my other fics? The dark shikaino fic is the polar opposite of this one so eh ehehe it's very entertaining to write.  
  
Same goes for everybody else waiting on this fic! Thank you for reading! Sweatdrops nervously  
  
Oh and Naruto isn't mine. (I dunno why I have to say this since obviously everybody knows it's not mine. Anybody out there thinks I own Naruto? Cuz I'd be totally flattered)  
  
Important Notice: There is a possibility that the next chapter or the chapter after that might contain some graphic sexual content. Errr....Shikamaru and Ino ARE married after all....(OMG I'm SO EMBARRESSED!!!!) Depending on the progress of the story (which I have no control over...it depends on shika and Ino) and whether or not I can overcome my debilitating embarrassment over writing a lemon, I might give it a try (#covers her face# soo embarrassed) Just warning those who don't wanna read a lemon. Btw, it's about time that this rated R fic actually SEEMS like a R fic :-)

* * *

Ch. 5 Battle of Wits: Ino, Don't Challenge The King Of Mind Games!  
  
Leaves rustled and swayed with the spring wind as the melodies of the songbirds floated to the ears of anyone within hearing distance of the feathered creatures. The characteristic golden sunlight of this season, filtered by the leaves of the trees, created shattered beams that lit swaying spots of light on the lush green grass of the lawn in front of the home of Shikamaru and Ino. It was the light that brought comfort, warmth, and life to the planet with its gentle rays. Unfortunately, the very same sunlight that was coveted by all life forms on this planet was currently nothing but a source of irritation to Nara Shikamaru.  
  
A bright beam of light that streamed in from the window had fixed itself mockingly on his face, bothering the sleeping man's eyes and undermining his quality of sleep. Shikamaru groaned as discomfort slowly forced him out of the relaxing state of slumber. True to his nature, he picked avoidance and rolled to his side to shield his eyes instead of tackling the root of the problem by getting up to pull the curtains shut. As his body relaxed in preparation for more sleep, it occurred to him that the bed felt different. There was a lack of pressure on the other side of the bed. He reached out his arms to feel among the rumpled sheets for his bedmate. The fact that she was an early riser, unlike him, was temporarily forgotten.  
  
When his blind search yielded no supple form of Ino , his chest heaved with a lazy sigh and his body sank back down into the soft bed as the air expelled from his lungs. Gradually, his mind released its hold on the ability to think actively and lost itself to the unconscious psyche that dominated sleep. He was perfectly content now. The rigors of life and the responsibilities he was saddled with were no longer any of his concerns, not at the moment at least.  
  
In the world of dreams, he was free to indulge himself with images of grassy landscape that were invitingly soft looking with floating cottony clouds swimming in the vastness that is the sky. And most importantly, he dreamed of laughing blue eyes gazing down at him, playing his heartstrings with the way the sparklingly clarity it held within were liquid pools that reflected nothing but love. He could even feel her golden tresses tickle his face as it swayed with each delicious breeze of the wind.  
  
But Shikamaru's brain was more complicated than that. While a part of his cerebral structure entertained him with visions of paradise in his sleep, another part buried deeper from his awareness handled the business of cold, straightforward, facts. In this state of rest, he was receptive to these facts that were normally unobtainable information filed away in his subconscious.  
  
Even as he slept, this other part of his mind was working, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from various data he didn't know he had unconsciously accumulated. It was a process he didn't deliberately initiate but always occurred in the back of his mind while his conscious brain took charge of what he willfully thought about. To him, this involuntary mental activity was about as controllable as the beating of his heart. That process was the true nature of Shikamaru's intuitiveness. It was an automatic type of thinking that was independent from his conscious mind. It was like a sixth sense, blessed upon him by his gift of unimaginable intelligence. It was this sixth sense that refused to let him continue sleeping, not when there was something with the importance of immense magnitude taking place while he obtained more rest than he needed.  
  
&&&&&  
  
Shikamaru sat up the moment he awoke, even before he had managed to fully open his eyes. An intense feeling of alarm had gripped him in his sleep and refused to let go even in his state of wakefulness. He looked around the empty room and then he checked the empty space of the bed next to him. As usual, Ino was already up even though today was Saturday and neither of them had anything important scheduled. He decided that she was the one who opened the drapes, probably with the malicious intent to make his late rising habit unpleasant.  
  
"Damn spring," He groaned in annoyance when his narrowed stinging eyes demanded more sleep. This time of the year always brought sunlight much too early in the day, he felt. Not yet ready to slid out of bed, he combed his fingers unhappily through his hair that was mussed by sleep. When his fingers were snagged by a stubborn knot, he let out an even louder groan of protest.  
  
His body felt uncomfortable all over. It was an unnatural condition for a man who had just woken up from a full night's rest. The furious thudding of his heart was more characteristic of a Jounin who just survived a close brush with death instead of one who woke from a tranquil dream involving a curvy blond, Ino of course, partaking in his hobby of cloud watching with him. Every fiber of his body was tense, trapped in the fight or flight mode as if he was in some immediate danger. What was there to be so fearful of in his own home?  
  
'What the hell is going on?' he thought. 'Why do I feel so unsettled?'  
  
He mumbled "This is a first," to himself as he rubbed his face tiredly. "Why couldn't I have woken up with your run-of-the-mill morning wood instead?" He scratched his side while his mind was preoccupied with the breakdown of information. Maybe he had a nightmare, he guessed, but couldn't remember it. Whatever the nightmare might have been, it must've been one incredible flight of nightmarish fancy to make him like this. He knew he shouldn't assign any meaning to one bad night of sleep but he couldn't help but feel it was something ominous that signaled something evil this way comes.  
  
Eventually, he summoned the energy to slid out of bed. It was when he was moving to the bathroom with uncoordinated stumbles that his right eyelid decided to twitch with pulsating jumps. 'What was that Chinese saying?' he wondered idly while he poked around the sink for his razor. 'When the left eye jumps, wealth is coming, when the right eye jumps, it is the herald of disaster.' He remembered. Shikamaru grunted to himself. He didn't believe in silly superstitions. Not when he knew the physiological causes behind such omens.  
  
He smirked when he found his razor among Ino's bottles and packages of female "stuff", for the lack of a better word. He wondered, in his defeatist mentality, if Ino had used his razor to shave her legs again. It was after a half-hearted debate waged against Ino that Shikamaru completely gave up on fighting for the right to the sole usage of his razor. He had tried to explain to her why man razors should be used by him alone, seeing that he was the man. Then, he cited hygienic reasons behind the faults of sharing intimate items like razors but She never listened. Things were easier when he resigned to his fate. It was a lot less stress for him.  
  
Shikamaru snatched up the razor and began his shaving. He was without caution as he scraped his razor across his chin in careless easy strokes, so it was no surprise when he swore loudly when he accidentally nicked some skin. He became pissed at himself for not being able to keep his mind on the task shaving and allowing himself to be distracted by the thought of Ino as he usually did. This brief flash of self-directed anger disappeared as quickly as it came and immediately afterwards, he was his usual laid- back self again. He just didn't have it in his languorous personality to stay angry. But he did have his buttons that once pressed, could cause him to snap from his unruffled self to the shadowy demon only his enemies saw before taking their last breath. These buttons he craftily hid from others to maintain his persona of nonchalance in the face of anything and everything. It took too much energy to become ruffled over dealings he didn't want to care about.  
  
Soon after shaving, he grabbed his toothbrush and brushed his teeth groggily while he was slumped against the bathroom wall like a boneless mass. He suppressed the urge to yawn by biting down on his toothbrush. The idea of swallowing a mouthful of toothpaste foam didn't exactly appeal to him.  
  
After taking care of his hygienic duties and bodily functions, Shikamaru realized he couldn't find the strip he used to tie his hair, which was bizarre because he always knew where to find his stuff. He remembered that he had left it in the medicine cabinet behind the mirror the night before. But since it wasn't there, he decided there was nothing he could do but to search for it. That or walk around for the rest of the day with billowy long hair, a thought that horrified him beyond belief.  
  
He wandered back into the bedroom in languid steps and looked through the cluttered items on Ino's table of more "stuff" where her large mirror sat. His eyes landed on a girlie box painted in cheerfully annoying colors. Shikamaru had never much paid attention to that box, but since he already used the energy to walk there, he might as well check it out. Out of ignorant male curiosity, he opened the box and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet scent that wafted to his nose. He pawed through the box until a gleam of light caught his attention. The reflective object was a small polished looking silver tube. He picked up the shiny tube and inspected it with critical eyes. The first thing he assumed was that the silver tube functioned as a container for miniature needle weapons. To investigate the accuracy of that assumption, he pulled the cap off and looked in. Instead of the scaled-down needle weapons he expected to see, he saw a smooth pink bar instead.  
  
The skin between his brows crinkled in confusion.  
  
He raised the opened tube to his nose and sniffed. The candy-like scent was instantly recognizable and was the trigger that caused his mouth to water in a different kind of hunger.  
  
'Ino really has me trained,' he thought somewhat mirthlessly. Being a literate man, he's often occupied his personal time with books other ninjas would never consider reading. There was one subject that interested him more than others and that was psychology. Psychology was useful in that it helped provides a bit of insight into the workings of the mind and this insight was a powerful tool for ninja's who made their living by "reading underneath the underneath". He remembered from one of the many books he's read, about an experiment where a psychologist proved the process of conditioning by training dogs to associate a stimulus with something completely unrelated. Shikamaru felt that he and those dogs were kindred spirits. The particular stimulus his trainer had him sensitized to was this scent. It was how Ino's lips always smelled.  
  
This object was foreign to him but he would figure out its use soon enough. His genius mind immediately sorted through all the memories he's accrued in his short life until the specific memory that explained the purpose of the shiny stick was found. He remembered that mother had once told him this was a "lipstick"—Women put it on their lips to make themselves appealing.  
  
'How troublesome for women to use this,' he thought. As a child, he had regarded the use of cosmetics as both pointless and troublesome. And now that he was a man, he found his low opinion of the use of cosmetics still hadn't changed. Natural beauty was far superior to any false coloring from chemical powders and creams—especially since they were harmful to the skin and hastened physical aging.  
  
Shikamaru fiddled with the colored stick, feeling bored while his mind chased after other trains of thought. Ino didn't use lipstick, he knew. Or did she? Her lips, pouty with fullness, always had the hue of natural pink that made his own quiver in want to press itself against it—to feel her firm yet yielding texture against his thin colorless lips. The shiny glaze of the color pink always present on her lips reminded him that women separated what seemed to be the same thing into many categories, so, he went back to his memories to search for other ones that held pertinent information about the function of this "lipstick".  
  
Almost immediately, he remembered the information he sought. Didn't the girls in his class from Ninja Academy from so many years ago call this a "lip gloss"? Wait, Ino also mentioned something about using "chap-stick" on her lips. So was this particular lip cosmetic "lipstick", "lip-gloss", or "chap-stick"? When all the brilliance he possessed couldn't give him an answer since he realized he didn't know what differentiated them, he quickly capped the.....lip thing....and stuck it back into the box he got it from.  
  
Shikamaru slapped a hand to the back of his neck and rubbed it in annoyance as he cast a sweeping glance across the cluttered table. A frown forced itself on his face at the disorderly mess. How someone can own this many useless belongings was beyond his understanding. Without conscious thought, he started to sort the items reflexly in accordance to their sizes to create an appearance of tidiness. It wasn't until he was about to obtain a towel to wipe the mirror that he finally noticed he was cleaning the bedroom.  
  
"What the hell am I doing?" Shikamaru asked himself when he looked at the freshly organized the items on the table. An index finger found itself to his jaw line and scratched while its owner was too embarrassed to notice his nervous tick. He was more whipped than his father ever was and yet somehow as a child, he remembered with quiet shame, he had the audacity to make snide comments when his father hurried home to be in time for dinner.  
  
He quickly left the lotion bottles and so forth alone and moved to a new area to continue his search. Shikamaru knew that he should check Ino's walk- in closet because the strangest things always turned up there, but knowing the amount of belongings stored in the space that was large enough to be a miniature room, he just couldn't summon the enthusiasm to tackle such an endeavor. Instead, he turned his attention to the large bed he shared with Ino.  
  
Shikamaru grabbed the comforter and flipped it clean into the air. Nope, nothing underneath, he checked. Rolling up the comforter into a makeshift ball, he shoved it to a corner of the bed to get a full view of what's underneath. Once again, his search left him empty handed of any result.  
  
The last place left to check was the area under the pillows he and Ino cushioned under their heads each night. Without really expecting anything, he reached out to grab a pillow in each hand simply because he felt obligated to finish checking every part of the bed since he already got started. Shikamaru lifted the pillows cynically and looked away after a quick glance before snapping his head back to take a better look.  
  
Underneath his pillow, he saw, laid a scaled-down doll version of him that was composed of bunched up tissue paper—complete with real hair that probably came from his head, and dressed in a cut-out outfit made of construction paper. The doll even had a scowling face drawn onto its round, Q-tip looking head. And the strip of cloth he used to tie his hair and had spent an entire morning searching for was finally found. It was on the tissue paper doll, used to bind the delicate cloth-like paper fabric together to maintain the shape of a person.  
  
Shikamaru calmly placed the pillows back down on the bed and stared at his mini-self. I suppose I should be more surprised, he thought dispassionately. And yet he wasn't. Apparently there was no limit to the eccentricities of his wife.  
  
He knew before marrying her that she was a strange woman. Knowing her his entire life had forced him into many situations he would rather avoid. When they were children, he was constantly bossed into helping her out with absurd plots that she seemingly hatched one after another. There was the time that she told him to capture Sasuke with his Kagemane so she could give him a kiss, believing that first kisses between two people forged a bond that would eventually blossom into true love. He had told her that it was a silly notion—Sharing a first kiss may have sentimental value in the future but it had no more magical powers than crossing one's fingers or passing under a ladder. Besides, the bastard Uchiha and Naruto already kissed each other. But Ino, being Ino, didn't hear a word he said since it was contrary to her point of view. She had a knack for selective hearing and chose to filter out unpleasant information.  
  
In hindsight, Shikamaru realized that he must have been in love with her since they were kids because in spite of knowing that she had every intention of continuing with that crazy scheme of hers—which had a 100% chance of failure—he still did his best to dissuade her since he knew it would produce some severe repercussions. He had put up an admirable amount of protest but they were futile because as usual, he ended up bending backwards for the force of nature known as Ino.  
  
So that day, he had "agreed" to carry out his role in her plan after she delivered some poorly veiled threats. Obeying what she asked him to do, he had waited on the road that she knew Sasuke had to walk on his way home. When that annoyingly troublesome guy appeared, he tried Kagemane no Jutsu, which Sasuke easily avoided it. Then, taking his use of jutsu as a direct challenge, Sasuke attacked back with vigor.  
  
That night, he limped home pitifully with a visible black eye and other bruises concealed beneath his torn clothes. What made it even more pitiful for him was that Ino didn't even say "thanks".  
  
Shikamaru sighed at the less than happy memory then picked up the doll, rotating the small thing in his massive hands to inspect its details. There was a thoughtful expression on his face as he slowly chewed his thoughts.  
  
Then again, he considered his contemplations carefully, maybe Ino's newly acquired hobby of doll-making was a byproduct of boredom. If it indeed was caused by boredom, he might have to start regretting his choice to ask Tsunade to keep Ino mission-free.  
  
Yes, he was the reason why Ino hasn't gotten a well-paying (a.k.a dangerous) assignment for some time. About a month ago, he had struck up a deal with Tsunade behind Ino's back. The deal he had with the 5th Hokage was that he'll willingly take on a heavier workload if in exchange, she stopped assigning Ino risky missions. For Tsunade, agreeing to this deal was tantamount to losing a Jounin, which was a level of ninjas already scarce in supply, but, he could be a skillful salesman when the need arose. He was forced to wheedle such a bargain out of Tsunade because of his desperate circumstances.  
  
Admittedly, he made this arrangement out of selfishness. He always found himself spending too much time worrying about Ino whenever she was away—wondering if her male teammates ever hit on her, or if her role in her missions required her to place herself in precarious situations. When the worrying started to take a toll on him—in that he was unable to concentrate on his own work or sleep in a lonely bed at night without her by his side—he started requesting for the job of planning for missions she was to embark on.  
  
With him in charge of 'strategy and preparation', he would arrange it so that she had the least significant task, or have her placed in the most protected part of the formation. He had done everything within the boundary of his power and beyond to make her missions as safe as possible.  
Inevitably, the other ninjas started complaining of nepotism.  
  
So what if he was playing favorites? Was he supposed to just let his wife charge out into danger without trying to make it safer for her? But Shikamaru knew that he couldn't continue handling things the way he did for much longer so he went to Tsunade. Tsunade of course, laughed in his face since Ino was also a Jounin and very capable in her profession. She even went so far to accuse him of being traditional-minded in the way that he wanted to keep his wife at home.  
  
Shikamaru couldn't help but feel a little insulted by her good-humored goading. He didn't mind workingwomen. His mother was a workingwoman. And Ino as a career woman was great because it meant he could do less at his job—giving him more time to say......admire clouds. So it wasn't that he was sexiest and wanted to be the sole provider of the family, a concept that sounded too troublesome and tiring for him. It was that Ino's job, unlike that of other women with professions, required her to solicit death. What if one day she danced too intimately with the Shinigami (1) and...... ..  
  
A ninja was supposed to be a tool whose life is secondary to that of the client and knowing Ino, she would place herself in jeopardy to protect someone he didn't give a damn about. He didn't want to end up a widower. He would.....miss......her...too much..... and...and that would be troublesome.  
  
Anyways. So he explained his position to Tsunade, with some embellishment and rationalization to sway her to his cause. And he was a damn good orator, despite his usual taciturnity. He managed to enlighten her on how the arrangement would beneficial to the both of them—more so for Tsunade of course. In exchange for keeping one competent Jounin out of commission, she would get an once-in-a-lifetime genius to mastermind all significant operations, plus, a few extra ones at the side. And with Ino safe at home, he wouldn't be distracted from his job, thereby provide nothing but excellent work from his usually unmotivated self. True, this compromise cost him a heavy price in that it was nothing but troublesome for him but it gave him peace of mind, which was something he desperately needed to function.  
  
Tsunade had gushed on and on about how adorable it was that he was so caring and protective, rambling about how so few men were this loving to their wife as he. Shikamaru scowled at the recollection. He wasn't being sappy. He just didn't want to have to worry about her, that's all.  
  
But for all his calculations, he forgot to take into account that having too much free time would cause a woman like Ino to lose her mind. Unlike him, she didn't understand the joy of having nothing to do. She must have picked up this disturbing hobby of doll making after one too many hours of staring at the clock. Shikamaru poked at the doll and shuddered. It really DID have real hair on it. He was sure that if he checked his hairbrush, he would find it mysteriously cleaned out of hair that were shed from the act of brushing.  
  
Turning his attention back to the doll, he continued to carefully scrutinize it, taking in every detail with photographic accuracy. 'Hnnnnn okay...' he thought. This doll was made out of tissue paper, which meant that it wasn't made to last long. It had real human hair, his hair, which was just plain disturbing....  
  
He sat down on the bed and enjoyed the feeling of sinking into the soft mattress before tossing the doll aside carelessly.  
  
"Hnnnn..........."  
  
Shikamaru was in the progress of changing gears—switching from his casual self to his pensive mode by creating a familiar shape with his hands. By keeping the tips of his fingers and thumbs in contact with the identical twin on the other hand, he formed a well rehearsed circle—a position he liked to have his hands maintain when he needed to deliberate over complex mental tasks. His eyelids slipped down in a manner that could best be described as drowsy while his face was a controlled mask of serenity.  
  
".................."  
  
".................."  
  
".................."  
  
".................oh I see."  
  
The peaceful expression he had on his face broke into a cocky smirk as his eyes opened, revealing the dark orbs that held the glint of immeasurable brilliance. "Oh Ino..." He tsked. "You're too silly for your own good sometimes." It all made sense now.  
  
Tsunade was just the type to meddle artlessly and Ino just might believe her by virtue of Tsunade's position as the Hokage. The old woman had been dropping childishly obvious hints that she planned to have a hand in solving his relationship problem, so, he had been waiting patiently for her to make her move even though he would rather her butt out. Now that she's initiated the first move on the shougi board that is his married life, he knew how to end her game.  
  
It was no secrete—in fact, the entire village knew—that Ino was dissatisfied with his way of showing affection—More accurately, the lack of a show of affection. He really wished that Ino was perceptive enough to realize from his little understated gestures that he loved her to pieces but his wishful thinking did nothing to increase the perceptiveness of the oblivious woman. Because of her own forthright nature, she expects everyone else to be candid about his or her thoughts and feelings. For the sake of her happiness, he wished he could be more outspoken but it took too much conscience effort on his part to open up. Out of laziness, he decided to leave things as it is because he was disinclined to do anything to change himself. His laziness would be the cause of his tragic end if he didn't find a way for him and Ino to establish an understanding.  
  
This voodoo doll that Ino made must be a part of a set of love charms meant to inspire his romantic side through supernatural means. He knew Ino wasn't the one who came up with the idea since it was too bizarre even for her taste, therefore, he was confident that the mastermind behind it was the Hokage.  
  
Fine, he would humor Ino and let her think her spells were actually working. Maybe he can use this opportunity to make her realize that she fell in love with him for the man he is, not for the man she wanted him to be, by turning her own scheme against her. It would be troublesome but it had to be done unless he wanted to risk losing the only woman he could ever be in love with.  
  
He could pretend to be under the effects of a spell by acting outrageously charming and romantic—lavish her with constant attention until she feels suffocated by his adoration. He planned to continue his onslaught of love and affection until she begged to have the modest Shikamaru back. Maybe after being smothered by an over-affectionate and exceptionally eager version of himself, she would understand the charisma of his laid-back personality.  
  
The long shadow cast in front of him from his back against the sunlight rippled mutely as the only indication of his impatience. Shikamaru reached a hand over his shoulder and patted his own back comfortingly.  
  
"Gambare Shikamaru." He told himself. There is no room for failure on the mission for their future together.

* * *

(T-T) this chapter isn't so great but you guys forgive me ne? And how come Fanfic.net always changes the formatting of fics? The italics disappears and all my indents disappear so i have to do it with the stupid spacebar. A lot of stuff don't show up for some reason.   
  
1.Shinigami: God of Death

2.Gambare: command form for what can be roughly translated as "try hard" or "good luck"  
  
(T-T) (Blurb alert! Read at ur own discretion ) I'm so sad that so little attention is paid to my dark angst fic because I really think it's a very interesting change from the average shikaino fics you get. I'm also sort of sending a message with that fic but I think the message isn't obvious yet, not till later chapters. The cute fluffy fics are pretty popular and that's obvious but personally, I like to try out totally wild ideas when it comes to fics. And no, Shikamaru is NOT a "bad guy" in the fic. (maybe in another fic OH HOHOHO)  
  
To Gooberific : All ur guesses about the progression of "We Must All Grow Up Someday" have been totally wrong EH HEHE, which is good! If you managed to guess it then I have to reconsider the worthiness of that fic to be written. It's a suuurrrpriiiiise (wink)  
  
MY FAV SHIKAMARU QUOTE! (thus far)  
  
Shikamaru: mendokusee kedo shouganee darou? Ino ga detteiku no ni otoko no orera ga nigerareru ka?  
  
Okies I promise I won't babble so much next time. (zips mouth)  
  
_To Archeeka: I didn't read all of your response and only skimmed it because it's really long. I'll just address whatever part of your comments that I remember. You don't like that I sometimes state the obvious. Well it's because that's my style of writing. Sometimes I try to create an effect by stating the obvious with short sentences. (See spot run.) The effect is supposed to be emphasized by the structure of the fic but for some reason, fanfic.net shuffles everything when you post chapters. If you don't like the way I write, I........I don't know what to say. I just write this way. And I'm NOT a professional writer since this is my first real fic. I'm merely a hobbyist who decided there weren't enough shikaino fics on the net. I DO plan on fixing up chapters later on. AFTER I finish the entire story, which is most important to me.  
  
Yes, I know my tenses go all over the place from chapter to chapter (first 2 chapters especially I think). That's because when I first started writing, I wasn't sure which tense I liked it better in so I wrote in both tenses. My plan was to decide which tense I like better later on and then go back and change it. (I think past tense feels more comfortable)  
  
You don't like that I have Ino call Shikamaru "Shika" sometimes because it means deer. Yes, "Shika" sounds the same as "deer" in Japanese but there's nothing wrong with using nicknames. Just because other fics use "Shika" also doesn't mean it's overused. Your name is your name. He has to be called by SOMETHING. Do you want her to call him Mr. Nara? It doesn't matter that "Shika" has the same pronunciation as "deer" in Japanese because all of the names used in Naruto have puns.  
  
Which reminds me. You also don't like that I sometimes have Ino address shika as "shika-chan". You think its better to use "kun" instead. Well let me tell you, NOBODY addresses her husband with "-kun". It's just plain weird. Does your mom address your dad by "Mr." On a daily basis? Although I have to point out, some of the more traditional married couples address each other with "san". Older people (grandparents), sometimes address their own grandkids with "-san". But someone of Ino's age and generation wouldn't do something like that. Plenty of young women call their loved ones by "chan".  
  
It's not demeaning for men when girlfriends use "chan" affectionately. The only people who would be bothered by that are little boys trying to prove their manhood. And in case you haven't noticed, Ino in the anime calls Shikamaru by his name, without any honorifics. It's my assumption that after getting married, she'd be a lot more affectionate towards him.  
  
You also think its strange that Shakespeare's work was alluded in a fic that was supposed to take place in Japan. First of all, technically Naruto takes place in a make-believe world. Second of all, you don't find it strange that they're all using English when they're Japanese? They're speaking English in the fic because I wrote this fanfic for the English speaking audience, therefore, I must also make references that the average reader can understand. If I start quoting things from Genji Monogatari, how many people do you think would've gotten the point? If you're going to nitpick at things like that, then anime fanfics should only be written in Japanese. But even Japanese writers sometimes make illusions to world- renown works such as that of Shakespeare.  
  
(btw, just because Ino has had sexual relations with Shika, it doesn't mean being ogled at won't bother her. I'm sure you'd be bothered too when people you know stare at you for long periods of time, especially you happened to be naked because I know I would be. )_


	6. A Battle Between Shinobis: Shikamaru On ...

This is a long chapter. Long enough to be two chapters actually but I decided to post the entire thing as one chapter. Hopefully, this will appease those who think I update too slowly. (gomen gomen but I have a lot of stuff to do over the summer)  
  
Naruto will belong to me when I take over the world but that's going to take a few years. All reviews are greatly appreciated and motivates my lazy ass to use my spare time to write instead of........something else LOL.

* * *

Ch. 6 A Battle Between Shinobis: Shikamaru On The Offensive

It was late morning with the sun shining cheerfully, giving the weather a deceptively warm appearance although the temperature was actually rather tepid. Normally on mornings like this, assuming there were no missions, Ino would be found bustling around in her beloved yard, tending her prized flowers like they were her cherished friends. But today, the woman normally so full of life and the energy of youth was like a shell of herself—sucked dry of every drop of pep she had in her.  
  
Instead of darting around busily and exuding her contagious vibrancy to anyone near her—glassy, red-rimmed eyes watched with disinterest as the curls of thin mist rose from a large mug of tea before disintegrating into the surrounding air.  
  
She sat alone in the kitchen, sipping cautiously at the hot drink every now and then; not enjoying the tea for its flavor but rather for the caffeine it provided. Too tired to cover her mouth modestly like she normally would, Ino let out another wide-mouthed yawn. She wasn't worried about looking rude in front of anyone since the only other person in the house was still asleep.  
  
Yawning again, she rubbed away the moisture that the action provoked from her sleepy eyes. 'Stupid Shikamaru', she thought. 'I spend all night working to improve our relationship and you're the one that gets to sleep in.'  
  
Ever since she received the "Super Secretive Top Secrete Scroll" from Tsunade-sama, Ino had been trying to find some personal time that she could use to study the content of the so-called spells. While she wasn't so gullible to believe in magic, curiosity proved to be too great a force to resist.  
  
After some deliberations, she finally decided to risk embarrassment and make use of her excess time by trying out some of the charms mentioned. It wasn't like she had any missions to prepare for anyways. The lack of missions was leaving her more free time than she knew what to do with.  
  
Besides, the scroll was delivered to her intentionally by Tsunade-sama and it just wouldn't be right for her to ignore a gift from the protector of Konoha—especially since it's no common occurrence for one insignificant ninja to be noticed by the Hokage when there was a village filled with them.  
  
Since she had made up her mind to go through with it, Ino had decided to put aside her skepticism and give the hocus-pocus mumbo-jumbo a try. All that was left for her to do was to find the right time to carry out her plan in secrecy. And as usual, simply because she had a delicate procedure to prepare for, the universe took it upon itself to hinder her progress from the very beginning.  
  
It was at the most inopportune time that she received Tsunade-sama's enchantment guide for, the past few days have been Shikamaru's time off from work, which meant he had been longing in the house every minute of the day—effectively barring her from performing any of the tasks that the scroll required of her.  
  
Finally, a potentially disastrous mix of the incongruent elements of curiosity and desperation got hold of her. This confusing tangle of indecipherable feelings forced her to utilize the only hours in a day that she knew Shikamaru would be indisposed to carry out her sly deed. It was between the hours of midnight and early morning, while Shikamaru was engrossed with sleep, that Ino used to complete the very first love charm on the list—a voodoo doll that supposedly had the ability to draw out his latent sense of romance through the use of message-laced dreams.  
  
Whether or not the mini-Shikamaru doll actually did its job as a dream-delivering messenger, it was truly a work of artistic flair that was fueled by the sentiment of loving devotion on her part.  
  
Ino was surprised at her profound affection for the Shika doll upon its completion. She caught herself grinning stupidly at the adorably cranky expression that she had carefully drawn onto the doll's round head while she fiddled with the mini outfit made out of construction paper until it looked just right. It took real effort and devotion to craft, not to mention that it cost her a night of sleep. The work she did last night was truly a 'labor of love' and for that, she would gladly forgo something as insignificant as sleep.

* * *

Shikamaru forced the creepy looking doll into his back pocket before heading down the stairs. Deciding that it was best not to procrastinate anymore, the unspoken war between him and Ino was declared to begin that day.  
  
She provoked had him first with the peculiar doll and now it was his turn to fight back in a way that would unsettle her equally, if not hopefully more. The art of war demands that a crafty strategist be able to turn his enemy's design to his advantage. And while it is known that "all is fair in love and war", sometimes, the line separating the two is dangerously ill- defined.

* * *

Ino sat there with a bland expression and her eyes fixed on her cup. She had immersed herself too deeply in her thoughts and realized she couldn't free herself from it. Using her stirring spoon, she tapped the side of her cup unhappily.  
  
So what if her love for Shikamaru was forcing her to act in a deviant manner? Sure it was a bit weird to spend an hour grinding chicken bones into powder, nor was it very normal to roam the forest for rare herbs in the middle of the night. Maybe it was wrong of her to get her last ingredient by sneaking into Inuzuka's yard to steal a tuft of dog fur—by yanking it off an unsuspecting Akamaru.  
  
She was a girl in love and women in this state of mind and heart couldn't be held responsible for their actions. Right? Anyways, if anything should go wrong, she'll blame Shikamaru because she knew without a doubt that it was all his fault somehow.  
  
While rehashing the events of the previous night, the slender stirring spoon she had in her hand was slowly slipping out of her loose hold. Right before the silver utensil fell from between her fingers, her hand was enveloped by a pair of warm, work-roughened hands that squeezed gently to readjust her finger's grip on the spoon.  
  
"Eh?" She craned her head to look behind and saw Shikamaru gazing down at her with a disturbingly cheerful smile that looked unnatural on his face.  
  
"Ohayo Ino-chan." He said before leaning down and giving her a kiss on the lips.  
  
As if that alone wasn't abnormal enough, she felt his tongue lick across her lips before parting them to deepen the kiss. In her state of astonishment, she vaguely noticed that Shikamaru tasted like the fresh mint of the toothpaste and something else that was distinctly him.  
  
Her eyelids slid down halfway in a daze as his tongue-filled kiss started to make her mind go hazy. But as the world worked, all good things must come to an end. The wonderful feeling of his hot satiny tongue playing with hers couldn't last forever and when the surprising kiss ended, their lips parted unwillingly—pursing towards each other for more contact even as they pulled their heads away.  
  
And he had called her "Ino-chan".  
  
"Uhhh......." Ino struggled to make words work for her. "Good Morning." She managed to exhale weakly.  
  
Shikamaru pretended not to have noticed her flustered look, the faint rising pink on her cheeks, or the way she gazed at him like he was something divine. He was on top of his game and thought it would be best if he continued to keep her off balance. So, he decided to corner her with his next move. "Ino-chan, can you tell me what this is?" He reached a hand behind and brought forward the tissue-made voodoo doll.  
  
'How did he find that?!' A voice in her screamed.  
  
"Uhh...um...ummm..." Her mind, still muddled from the sensual kiss, raced frantically to make up a believable story. The nervous darting around of her eyes made her anxiety obvious to the observant Shikamaru who was secretly enjoying her discomfort a bit too much.  
  
'Why can't I have an insanely high IQ also?' Ino wailed in her head. Alas, her brain of normal intelligence failed to produce an usable lie and Ino, who no longer knew how to progress in the situation, decided to feign ignorance and hope for the best. "What doll?" She finally asked innocently. The moment those words left her mouth she started to slap herself mentally. It was a good thing that she rarely lied because she wasn't good at it. What's the point in lying if you were so bad at it that people knew what you said was false the moment you formed the words?  
  
Shikamaru stretched out an arm and dangled the doll that was created in his likeness by a leg. "This doll. Honey, don't you think it looks familiar? Like someone we know?" He asked, still careful to keep his voice light- hearted without sarcasm. In order to make his point, he held the doll barely an inch away from Ino's face and swung the poor puppet left and right by its leg like it was a hypnotizing pendulum.  
  
Ino didn't even notice the doll. Her brain was still choking on the fact that Shikamaru had called her "honey".  
  
Evilly, Shikamaru decided to take his act of the concerned loving husband to a higher level. "Ino-chan..." He said in a grave voice before he grabbed a chair and pulled it out so he could sit next to her. "I know I've had a rash of missions recently.......you've been terribly lonely without me haven't you?"  
  
".....Eh?"  
  
"Has doll making been a good stress reliever for you? I hope having a doll of me has made your lonely nights easier." After saying that, he gave her an overly understanding smile; the type that he knew would grate on her nerves.  
  
".....Ehhhh?!" Ino couldn't help but get the feeling that there was something going on but she hadn't caught on to what yet. It felt like he was....patronizing her. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
The moment her mood seemed to have made the transition from confusion to anger, Shikamaru reached out and pulled her from her chair into his lap. "My poor sweet Ino-chan..." He whispered into her hair while his arms tightened protectively around her. "You're so tiny and fragile that you practically disappear within the embrace of my larger body....."  
  
"EHHHHH?!!!!!" She cried out bewildered and even louder than before.  
  
He nuzzled her even as she flailed her arms angrily. He acted deaf when she squawked shrilly into his ears. And when she started to struggle in his arms, he gave her another kiss.  
  
Ino hoped that she had enough time to cover her flowers with a tent before the fires of Armageddon rained from the sky. She was trying to decide on what type of tent she should buy when she felt her husband lick her behind an ear. "EEEEEK!!!" She squealed out in a panic. The pale skin of her cheeks immediately darkened to a dangerous shade of red.  
  
"Ino-chaaaaaan You smell so good......." Shikamaru crooned to her before giving her earlobe a nip with his teeth.  
  
Yes, Ino admitted to herself. She had wanted Shikamaru to show his feelings and to be open with what was on his mind. She wanted him to kiss her more often and dare to hold her hand in public; like the couples in the movies she watched too much. But this Shikamaru was scary.....as well as sexy. It must be the herbs she slipped in his soup, or the chicken bone powder in the mini-Shika, or the combination of all she did without his knowledge. She should be glad that following the instructions of the scroll gave her the result she wanted—Shikamaru was being sweet, cuddly, and attentive. This should be her moment of victory. She should be celebrating, but, this new and improved Shikamaru felt so alien to her. Guilt was also starting to creep into her heart. Maybe it was a bad idea to change him into something he wasn't. He was already a great guy.....maybe she was too unreasonable with her expectations.....  
  
Ino felt his arms move slightly from their place around her waist. Then, one of his wide hands crept up her stomach and cupped her left breast firmly. "Huuuuuhhhhh................" She inhaled noisily from between her lips that were parted in shock. 'They were in the kitchen! He wouldn't really start anything would he? Not in the kitchen right?'  
  
Shikamaru pressed his chest against her until they were intimately close to enjoy her scent. "Mmmmm...." Came his satisfied groan.  
  
Blushingly, Ino decided that maybe the kitchen wasn't a bad place after all.  
  
"Lets go salsa dancing."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ino shifted from her place in his lap to stare at him incredulously. After all his prelude of snuggling and kissing, he was working up to THIS? It wasn't the kind of offer she expected. "Salsa dancing?" She asked and looked at him skeptically. "Since when do you know how to salsa?"  
  
"Keh.....My parents go salsa dancing all the time. I've had the misfortune of being forced to watch them dance a few times and I involuntarily memorized the moves." Shikamaru told her.  
  
"But you're never actually done it before, right?" She tried to confirm.  
  
He shrugged slightly. "Yea...but we're ninjas. We have good reflexes and I have the method memorized. I'm sure we'll pick it up easily." He said confidently.  
  
Before Ino could protest some more, he had already started to carry her up the stairs. All her loud effort in trying to reason with him was tuned out. Shikamaru carried her into their bedroom even as she babbled incoherently.  
  
"Hurry up and get changed ok? I'll go borrow something to wear from my dad." He told her before plopping her down on their bed. There was a commanding air about him—The same authoritative force he usually only revealed to the squad under his command. This energy was what made Ino obey what he asked. When he saw that Ino indeed was looking through her closet for something to wear, he left the bedroom and closed the door on his way out.  
  
Once the door was closed, Shikamaru sighed and leaned against it tiredly. Ino had no idea that on the other side of the bedroom door, the love of her life was starting to wonder if his plan of retaliation was such a good idea after all.  
  
'This "fighting fire with fire" thing is so bothersome,' He thought. 'I hope my calculations are correct.'

* * *

Shikamaru was annoyed at how much time Ino was taking. He was the one who had to run to his parent's home, get changed, and then run back. And yet somehow, Ino was the one who was still trying to get dressed.  
  
His eyes wandered to the appealing couch in the living room. If Ino was going to take so much time, he might as well take a nap. Shikamaru eagerly hurried to the couch and let himself fall backwards on the comfortable furniture.  
  
When Ino finally came down the stairs in a flashy, red, one-piece dress, she found Shikamaru sprawled on his back and snoring softly from his place on the couch—His head was on top of the armrest with a leg draped over the back of that couch while one of his arms dangled limply from the couch seat.  
  
She giggled at the sight. Maybe the 'new and improved' Shikamaru wasn't that different from her old Shikamaru. "Sorry for taking so long...I had some trouble in deciding what to wear." She explained.  
  
His mouth was slightly ajar and he breathed heavily through it. There was no sign that he was waking up or if he even heard her.  
  
"Shiiiiikaaaamaaaaruuuuu" Ino dragged the syllables of his name in exasperation. "Wake up!" She poked him viciously beneath his collarbone.  
  
"Hnnn.....hnn....whaaa?" He mumbled as he started to stir.  
  
Ino frowned at him. 'Is it really a good idea for a ninja to sleep so deeply?' She wondered with a bit of worry.  
  
Shikamaru rubbed his face and cracked open an eye to peer at her from between his fingers. "Whoa...." He exclaimed when he saw what she was wearing. Both his eyes were opened now.  
  
Suddenly, Ino started to feel strangely shy under his scrutiny even though she knew him as intimately as it was possible for two people.  
  
He took his hand away from his face and sat up straight to stare some more. "You look so....whoa...."  
  
The stupefied expression he had was infinitely flattering for Ino.  
  
His eyes slid fluidly up and down her body, following the lines of her silhouette that were excitingly curvy within her spaghetti-strap dress that hugged her physique. "When did you buy this dress?" He asked, eyes resting on her breasts momentarily before turning its focus back to her face when he remembered there was such a thing as respect.  
  
"I've had it for a long time.......spur of the moment shopping..." She replied, shifting her weight from foot to foot bashfully.  
  
"How come I've never seen it before? Not that I'm saying you can't buy things without telling me. I'm just curious."  
  
Ino held his gaze with eyes that conveyed a trace of sadness. "We never go out together...so I haven't had the occasion to wear this." She confessed.  
  
Shikamaru stood from the couch and pulled Ino to him. "Lets change that today." He murmured timidly.

* * *

Damn his inner self that was having a moral crisis. His sense of guilt was badgering him on whether or not he really wanted to go through with his plan. Neglecting one's wife didn't exactly make one the greatest husband ever. Maybe Ino was justified in trying to change him. Perhaps, it wouldn't be so horrible to at least TRY to be the kind of man Ino wanted him to be. If it would bring her happiness............

* * *

Ino laid her head against his chest and enjoyed his warmth against her cheeks. The steady beating of his heart and the sound of air entering and leaving his lungs were strangely comforting, lulling her into blissful serenity. Shikamaru always had a calming effect on her..........when he wasn't driving her into a mad frenzy that is.  
  
'Tsunade-sama banzaiii' Ino thought happily. She owed everything to her Hokage-sama.

* * *

They rushed out of the house; giggling like children and racing each other down the street like wild wolves. Neither of them remembered that they hadn't had lunch yet and Shikamaru probably didn't even have breakfast. But the symptom of hunger never came for they were feasting on the joy that can only be shared by soul mates deeply in love.  
  
Shikamaru ran ahead of Ino, the dark jacket of his suit fluttered with the oncoming wind as he charged on—showing an amount enthusiasm he didn't know was possible for him. Even as a kid he didn't bother with playing outside like the other children. He never had the energy for it. But now, he felt like the most alive person in the world. 'So this was what made life worth living.' He thought. This was the happiness that everyone sought after—the prize that is only attainable if you could endure the string of troublesome things that life uses to challenged your existence.  
  
Shikamaru continued to race, challenging Ino to catch him when she was at a disadvantage. The tall heels of her shoes hindered her ability to run but she wasn't deterred. His challenge had aroused the competitiveness in her.  
  
She dashed after him, fleet-footed like a nymph—slender legs moving rapidly as her heeled feet hit the dirt ground with steady thuds. When she was barely three feet away from Shikamaru, her hands reached out to grab him. She had almost caught him by the shoulders when something gave out under her right foot and she fell heavily. The delicate shoe of her right foot had finally given out during the abuse that was rigorous exercise. Under the heavy strain of running, heel had snapped clean off the sole.  
  
"INO?!" Shikamaru immediately turned when he sensed something was wrong. He hurried to her and slipped his hands under her arms to lift her off the ground. "Are you ok?" He cupped her face and stared into her eyes with concern.  
  
Ino gave him a pitiful expression—eyes that were the color of deep ocean blue were misty with distress. Her entire demeanor was that of someone who was mistreated.  
  
Catching both Shikamaru and Ino off guard, Shikamaru did something completely uncharacteristic that he learned from his mother. He licked his thumb then used it to clean the streak of dirt off Ino's left cheek before the corners of his lips turned down into a disapproving frown.  
  
"That's why I don't like high heels. They're not practical and they're dangerous. They're also bad for your back-" He paused in the middle of his scolding when Ino grabbed the hand that was rubbing her cheek by the wrist.  
  
The persona of someone who needed care and protection melted away into a conniving smirk. Ino drew near until their noses were touching. "Caught'cha." She told him.  
  
_ 'Even at a disadvantage, a ninja should always be able to use his folly to defeat enemies who underestimate.'_  
  
Shikamaru lost the race.  
  


* * *

(This was supposed to be the next chapter but I merged it for your convenience XD)  
  
From the moment Shikamaru walked into the club with Ino on his arm, fellow patrons immediately took notice of the seemingly incompatible couple. Men with and without dates watched the exotic blond—observing how her hair swayed with each step before eyeing her hips that echoed the movement. They sighed at her ethereal beauty and they sighed because she was unattainable.  
  
She was graceful without any apparent effort and radiated a different type of aura that made her stand out from the nameless crowd. The blinding blaze of her allure was so incredible that she drowned out the inconspicuous glowing embers that were other people.  
  
After feasting their eyes on the unaware belle, those men turned their attention to the lucky bastard she came in with. Filled with disdain, those men gave Shikamaru the look over and wondered what the hell the woman was thinking. Arrogantly, they compared their own attributes to the simple looking man of plain-featured face and common black hair that was tied up into a messy tassel. Most of them thought their own looks were superior but grudgingly admitted that the man did look formidable with his height and compact muscles. The slight hunch of his shoulders that implied his aptitude in throwing heavy punches kept the men from introducing themselves to the woman.

* * *

Ino looked around uncomfortably and continued to hold onto Shikamaru's arm. The foreign music and the flashing lights of different colors were a new experience for her. She had never gone clubbing before and her casual acquaintance with salsa dancing was from what she saw on T.V. Her only real experience at any type of dancing were her victory dances that she liked to indulge in after winning a competition.  
  
Shikamaru put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her when he noticed her uneasiness. "Don't worry baby. I'll teach you how to dance." He said before he started to usher her towards the polished dance floor.  
  
The flat bottoms of Ino's shoes scuffled with the floor as she was steered unwillingly by Shikamaru's guidance. No one knew her ostentatious shoes were not always flat-soled. When one of the heels had broken off from a darkly rubescent shoe on the way to the club, Ino had snapped off the other heel in adaptive ease. Nothing as insignificant as damaged shoes was going to stop her from partying away with Shikamaru.  
  
"Ne...Shikamaru..." Ino raised her eyes to his face questioningly. "Is it really safe to come to this club since it's outside of our village? Should we be in a club that is filled with Fire Country civilians?"  
  
Even though Shikamaru was the one that was habitually reclusive, he was completely at ease. "Don't worry Ino-chan. We won't let anyone know we're ninjas. Besides, my parents come here often so it's safe." He reassured her. 

* * *

Unbeknownst to the two, a few other members of the Konohagakure village were also in the club. Jiraiya, Asuma, and Kakashi were at the bar, enjoying a drink when they saw Ino and Shikamaru enter the club looking impeccably dressed.  
  
"Whoa! Look at the woman in red!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he leered shamelessly. "She's definitely going to inspire my next novel!"  
  
"Hnnn...?" Asuma looked up from his vodka. He used his tongue to maneuver his cigarette to a corner of his mouth before he took another sip of the clear liquid.  
  
Jiraiya was still busy prattling on about the otherworldliness of this woman's supposed beauty when Asuma decided to confirm the ero-sennin's descriptions himself. His eyes turned to where Jiraiya was pointing excitedly and saw a voluptuous woman with long blond hair and a curvaceous body who was standing on the dance floor in a hesitant posture.  
  
"Hnnn........" He sucked the burning curls of smoke from the cigarette into his mouth. "She's pretty hot I guess. Real nice body." He admitted—the smoke rolled out of his mouth in waves.  
  
Meanwhile, kakashi sat there with a bored expression—contemplating whether or not he should let the other two know who it was they were checking out.  
  
"Maybe she'll dance with me..." Jiraiya pondered aloud.  
  
Asuma was quick to pour cold water on Jiraiya's eagerness. "Why would a sweet young thing like her want to dance with a grandpa like you? With all due respect of course, Jiraiya-sama." He said.  
  
"Why not?' Jiraiya protested. "I'm aging handsomely, I'm stronger than all the young'uns in this room, I'm a legendary sennin, I'm rich-"  
  
"From selling porn." Asuma interrupted. "I doubt any woman would find that very appealing."  
  
Kakashi, who had been silent until now, finally decided to join in on the conversation. "Jiraiya-sama, as a loyal reader of your novels, you know the last thing I would want is for you to stop writing.... BUT, have you ever considered that your choice of artistic expression might be a contributing factor to why Tsunade-sama won't take your affection seriously?"  
  
Jiraiya was still staring at the woman. "I think I'll buy her a drink....." The sennin mumbled to himself. He hadn't heard a word of Kakashi's comment.  
  
Kakashi only raised his brows slightly at the brush-off before he went back to the glass of apple juice he was nursing. Jiraiya and Asuma had wondered why he would come to a bar to drink apple juice but in the end, they chalked it up as Kakashi being his strange and mysterious self.  
  
Turning his bar stool so he could face Kakashi, Asuma gave the man a curious look. "For a man who dares to give someone at least twenty-plus years his senior advice on women, are YOU still single?" He asked in a disparaging tone.  
  
"Why? Are you offering?" Kakashi's revealed eye looked neutral but Asuma knew he was smirking behind the mask.  
  
"You're sick, you know that?"  
  
"All ninjas are a little sick in the mind, my friend." Kakashi replied as he used a hand to lift a corner of his mask so he could get a mouthful of his juice.  
  
Jiraiya finished what he had in his glass and ordered himself another alcoholic drink. "You two can have your man on man sex but I say, give me a woman any day."  
  
"What?" Asuma bit down on the part of the cigarette that was in his mouth. "He was joking!" He growled through his gritted teeth.  
  
"Was I? Asuma.........kun" Kakashi gave him a wink with his normal eye.  
  
"Ugh, this is so troublesome. Lets end this conversation." Asuma turned his bar stool back to the bar counter where his drink sat.  
  
"I can tell why they made Asuma, Shikamaru's teacher." Kakashi said to no one in particular.  
  
Jiraiya was still staring at the woman in red and paid absolutely no attention to the man she was with. His selective vision only allowed him to see beautiful women, not the men who were around these beautiful women. "I wonder if she would mind starring in my next novel....."  
  
Kakashi dug around in his clothes, fishing for the right pocket that held his wallet. "Hn..yea...pretty girl." He said distractedly. "Shikamaru is a lucky man."  
  
"......What?" Asuma stared at Kakashi.  
  
Wearing a satisfied smile behind his mask when he found his wallet in his Jounin vest, Kakashi decided to answer Asuma's half-formed question. "Hn? Oh yea, that's Ino. And Shikamaru is with her."  
  
"ARGH!" Asuma let out a horrified cry. His cigarette fell from his lips and into his drink where the burning cinders ignited his glass of vodka. "That was so wrong!" He rubbed his eyes, ignoring the glass of fire in front of him.  
  
The bartender uninterestedly reached over and took the glass of flame away.  
  
Asuma was still ranting. "I need to wash these dirty eyeballs! I can't believe I checked her out! She's practically my daughter!"  
  
"I don't care whose daughter she is. She's totally hot!" Jiraiya declared.  
  
"I need a cigarette...." Asuma whimpered to himself as his lighter-holding hand shook with either shock or nicotine withdrawal. "I need...I need...." He finally found his crumpled pack of cigarettes and took it out of his pocket. When he checked the pack, his eyes widened in horror. There was only one cancer stick left. Throwing caution to the wind, he quickly lit the last stick and took a few quick puffs.  
  
Kakashi easily ignored Asuma's neurotic behavior and paid the bartender for his drinks. He stood from his seat and paused. "Oh, by the way," He tapped Asuma on the shoulder and pointed. "Shikamaru is salsa dancing. I have to say, he's pretty good. Good enough to go pro should he decide ninja-hood isn't for him anymore."  
  
"WHAAT?!" Asuma whipped his head around for a look.  
  
Mildly interested, Jiraiya also turned to look.  
  
And there was the infamously lazy Shikamaru, dressed in a neat black suit, gyrating on the dance floor like there was no tomorrow.  
  
Using his tongue, Asuma folded the last cigarette of the pack that was currently held between his lips and swallowed it. 

* * *

Shikamaru moved with a different kind of grace—the kind that had an undercurrent of strength beneath the fluid movements. The sinews of muscles rippled underneath his skin as he moved his entire body to the tempo of the Latin American music. His movements had prowess and it was starting to attract the attention of other women but he paid them no heed. His eyes were trained on Ino alone, beckoning her to join him. Entranced by his hypnotic performance , all Ino could do was stare in amazement. She faintly registered that other women were eagerly talking about her dark- haired Shikamaru.  
  
His legs lashed out and moved in the proper steps to execute the complicated sequence. Lips curving into a promising smile, his dark eyes of swirling emotions made her unable to look away. "Ino-chan..." He called out to her before he rotated his hips teasingly.  
  
Ino thought she was going to die from shock and mortification from the way Shikamaru was treating her. This can't possibly be her Shikamaru. The spell had overdone it. She was backing away red faced when Shikamaru grabbed her by the hand and pulled her against his chest.  
  
"Dance with me, Ino-chan." He commanded in a soft voice.  
  
"Bu-but...I do-don't" She stuttered.  
  
"I'll teach you." He told her as his hands found themselves on her hips. Ino, not giving up yet, made another attempt to pull away but Shikamaru stopped her by sliding his hands further down and giving her rear a squeeze.  
  
Ino's eyes widened, her full lips parted in a surprised 'O' as she stared vacantly at a far off distance.  
  
'I think I broke her brain.' Shikamaru thought as his lips involuntarily turned upwards into a satisfied smirk. 'Phase one complete.' He told himself.  
  
Ino's mind was still struggling to process the absurdity of the current situation when Shikamaru took advantage of her shock and closed the remaining distance between their bodies. Groin against groin and chest against breasts, Shikamaru gently pushed at Ino's hips to teach her how to sway them enticingly.  
  
With Shikamaru's hands on her firmly, she was forced to move in unison with the pace of his dance. 'What the hell is going on?!' Her mind screamed, struggling to form coherent thoughts. Another voice in her head spoke up. _'Don't try to figure it out.'_ The voice said. _'Ignore your brain and just enjoy it! You've always wanted to go dancing with him, so DANCE!' _"You know what? You're absolutely right!" Ino replied loudly to that inner voice.  
  
Shikamaru, who had no idea about the private conversation she was having with herself, gave her a confused look at her outwardly random outburst.  
  
"Come on Shika!" She cried out in an elated voice. "Dance with me! I'll lead!" She struck a gallant pose.  
  
"Eh...?" Shikamaru backed away and looked at her dubiously.  
  
Ino confidently tried to do a twirl but she ended up smacking the back of her head against Shikamaru's chin, causing the poor man to lurch backwards. 

* * *

Jiraiya watched Ino. "You know," he finally said. "for a woman this beautiful who also happens to be a ninja of the leaf, she has surprisingly little grace."  
  
Asuma sighed and shook his head at her clumsiness while Kakashi nodded in agreement with Jiraiya. 

* * *

Shikamaru gritted his teeth bravely when Ino accidentally stomped down on his foot because she couldn't keep count of the steps. With masculine dignity, he pretended not to have felt her elbow him below the sternum during a badly calculated side step. But when she kneed him in the groin with an over-spirited prance, he had to drop all pretenses of indifference and cringe in pain. 'This is my punishment for thinking I can play Ino's game.' He thought through the fog of the throbbing pain in his crotch. 

* * *

Jiraiya, Asuma, and Kakashi raised their glasses in the direction of where Shikamaru was doubled over in agony. 'Poor guy...' They all thought with a sense of camaraderie among all men. He certainly deserved their respect if he dared to marry a woman like that.  
  
The foolish...foolish heart. 

* * *

"STOP!" He cried out desperately before he managed to avoid a blow to his face from Ino's wildly swinging arms. "This is salsa, not karate!" He yelled at her.  
  
Ino stopped what she was doing and gave him a confused look. "I know! That's why I'm dancing!"  
  
He was about to tell her exactly what she was doing before he thought better of it. He's already been injured enough that night. "Lets just go home ok?" He suggested, forcing his wince of pain into a shaky smile.  
  
"But I'm having so much funnnn...." Ino whined since she was unwilling to end the night so early. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she glanced around the room. "Besides, there's still a ton of people here!"  
  
"If we go home now, I'll teach you how to tango. That sound good to you?" Shikamaru tried negotiating with her.  
  
Ino regarded him with a disbelieving look while trying to assess how genuine his offer really was. She was quiet when she stuck out her lower lip cutely and tilted her head slightly in consideration. "Well.......ok I guess." She finally agreed.  
  
'Oh thank kami-sama' Shikamaru thought, relieved.  
  
"Hey Shikamaru?"  
  
"What is it?" He asked.  
  
"How come you're such a good dancer if you've never danced it before?"  
  
He shrugged and pulled her close by the waist, leading her towards the exit. "Because I've seen my parents dance." He said as a matter of fact.  
  
Obviously, Ino wasn't satisfied with his explanation because she continued to press on with more questions. "But how come you can dance perfectly when you've only seen other people dance?"  
  
Shikamaru released Ino's waist to open the door for her. "Intellectually, I already know the general schematics of the dance. All that was left was for my body to carry out the moves, which isn't all that difficult a task. We're ninjas. We're supposed to have fast reflexes and mastery over our movements. Basically, all I did was make my body perform what I knew in my mind." He explained to her.  
  
"Uh-huh......." She replied, sounding introspective.  
  
"Can't you do the same?" He asked her innocently out of ignorance.  
  
Ino rolled her eyes and walked out the door without replying. 'We're not all geniuses like you, baka." She thought. 

* * *

Wanting to change out of her outfit, Ino headed straight for the bedroom the moment they got home. Skipping up the stairs, she wondered in the back of her mind why Shikamaru seemed like he had something on his mind. He was oddly reticent on their way home, especially after his outlandish display of extroversion in the club.  
  
From her drawer, Ino pulled out her home clothes that she wears when she's not going anywhere. After tossing the plain tank-top and shorts carelessly onto the bed, she tried to unzip her dress. She was arched backwards, fingers swiping at the out-of-reach zipper of her dress when she heard Shikamaru open the door.  
  
"Shiiikaaaaa" She called out to him while reaching at her back and hopping around impatiently. "I need some help!"  
  
The quiet thump of the bedroom door closing wasn't surprising for her, but an extra sound of something turning made her stop what she was doing. Ino heard the solemn click of the lock bolting the door shut and it made her turn around.  
  
She saw Shikamaru standing at the door with his hand on the lock and shot him a perplexed expression. "Since when did you start locking the door?" She asked. It wasn't necessary because they had no children and no one in their right mind would rob a house located in a ninja village.  
  
Shikamaru raised his slightly bowed head. The intensity in his eyes made Ino forget the rest of what she wanted to say. "I said I was going to teach you the tango, did I not?" He spoke softly in his tenor voice, causing a chill to wash over Ino who was caught off guard.  
  
"Um....yeaaaa..." Her eyebrows furrowed in consternation. She didn't know what Shikamaru was leading at. For some reason, the room was filled with tension and the strange crackle of energy made the hair on her arms raise.  
  
It was an eerie smile that he wore on his face—the kind that held unspoken promises hanging from curve of the lips.  
  
"Ino-chan...." He intoned seductively. "Let me teach you how to tango....."  
  
Shrugging his shoulders back, he peeled off his black jacket with his hands. 

* * *

Banzai: "Long live", or like "three cheers for-" 

-Chan: Used affectionately.

Kami-sama: God  
  
SHIKAINO FANS UNITE!! I finally finished this chapter! It's so darn long!!! I SHOULD HAVE cut it into two chapters! Possible lemon in the next chapter........if I can overcome my embarrassment (fat chance LOL) and if Ino will let Shika. #BLUSHING#  
  
I hope you guys liked this chapter. I hope there are still people reading this fic. (I dunno #shrugs#) To those of you wondering about my other fics, yes I DO plan to finish them. Just very very slowly....gomen nasai yurushitekure ne?  
  
To Tea Leaf: About the previous chapter, yea, I was going to switch between Shika and Ino too but then I realized that chapter was getting WAY TOO LONG and I needed to end it fast cuz I wanted to go to bed LOL so instead, I cut out the Ino part and made it part of this chapter (now this chapter is way too long LOL)  
  
If you liked this chapter lemme know k?  
  
Oh btw, before anyone starts screaming about Shikamaru's OOCness, remember, he's SUPPOSED to be under the control of a voodoo doll. XD  
  
Ugh this chapter was so sappy that I needed waffles to go with it. How horribly embarrassing.

p.s.

Why does ff.net keep changing my format? It takes me forever to correct everything!


	7. Careful Perambulation: One Step At A Tim...

#creeps out from under a rock# Er..people are still reading this right? I know that I said this chapter was going to be a lemon but sorry! It'll be next chapter because this chapter already got waaaay too long. You guys know my habit of rambling on and on. I like the story to be slow paced because otherwise it feels too rushed. Although Shikamaru and Ino are married, I don't like the idea of them just jumping into bed and...you know. #blush#  
  
I have a question for everybody, are lemons allowed to be posted on ? Of course I'll litter the entire fic with warnings and this fic IS rated R for a reason........but I wonder if there'll be people who'll get offended and whine about it. The thing is, I don't have a website so I can't exactly post the lemon somewhere else. Anyone who knows the exact nature of 's position on lemons in R rated fics, please lemme know?  
  
#BLUSH# I still can't believe I'm actually gonna attempt to write a lemon...I'm the type of person who can't even write a kiss into the fic without blushing....ergo this chapter is a slow warm up to my errrr..actual lemon.  
  
Btw THANK YOU ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN ME REVIEWS! You guys have given me the strength to continue! (and guilt when I get too lazy XD)  
  
Naruto doesn't belong to me because if it did, more attention would be paid to the girls and the girls would actually have the drive and will to become great ninjas. Says who girls don't have the ambition to protect their village and become hokage!? Poor Tenten doesn't even have a last name...  
  
Before I forget, after hiding my sketches in shame for a looooooong time, I've decided to send my sketches to a website for posting. Recently, I've been exchanging emails with a reviewer and showed her the sketches and that's why I decided I might as well see if anyone will post it for me. (Hey look Kim I've updated! #sweatdrops#)  
  
My Shikaino fanart (however inferior cuz I'm too lazy to clean it up or color it) can be found here: http:ino.sayuri.us/  
  
NOT my website but I DO love this site. It's so pretty and well done!

* * *

Ch. 7 Careful Perambulation: One Step At A Time  
  
The reason that 'staring' was considered to be rude was because it unnerves people to be under continuous scrutiny. Exactly _why_ being stared at makes one uncomfortable isn't clear. Possibly, it's because people worry that their flaws would be found out if someone were given enough time to inspect for it. But unlike others of the same predicament, Ino's reason for discomfort under the intense gaze of someone had no ambiguity. Shikamaru, whose behavior had been peculiar all day, had his eyes firmly fixed on her face—the unreadable emotion shining through his stare made her feel exposed.  
  
He was standing in front of the bedroom door. Although he wasn't acting hostile, Ino couldn't help but feel like he was somehow blocking the main escape out of the room. With a hand still on the lock of the door, Shikamaru smiled at her in a non-reassuring way. His eyes hadn't left her since he entered the room.  
  
Ino never knew it was possible for Shikamaru to have that kind of intensity in his dark depths, but as he maintained eye-contact, the smoldering emotions simmering in his piercing gaze made her feel like a prey vulnerable to getting eaten. From between the gentle curve of his lips came a brief flash of red when his tongue darted out and licked the corners of his mouth. He cocked his head towards her, then suddenly released his hand from the lock and started to approach her with purposeful strides.  
  
Unsure of Shikamaru's state of mind, Ino backed away as he came closer until the enclosing wall behind the bed blocked her from further retreat. Breathing hard while the thumping of her heart pounded like muted drums in her ears, Ino looked wide-eyed at Shikamaru as he drew nearer.  
  
##########  
  
'Ino is so cute when she's confused.' Shikamaru thought as he walked to her in the slow and deliberate pace he intentionally picked. He had chosen to saunter to her with a leisurely strut just to see her tortured by the apprehensive suspense aroused by the unpredictability of his actions.  
  
As he walked forward, each footstep thumping solemnly on the hardwood floor like the slow beat of a death march drum, he noticed how she was even more attractive than usual—if that was even possible. Her flawless skin, normally the solid color of creamy milk, now had the tint of rosiness to her cheeks. The discomfiture that caused her blood to rush to her face, had the delightful effect of making her lips flush into a full, pouty red. Smugly, he wondered where she would kiss him with those lips once he got her into bed—and at that thought, he unconsciously licked his chops in a different kind of hunger. It was the first time he felt predatory—a forgotten streak of masculinity that Ino had dragged out of the recess of his laid-back soul.  
  
The shift in the balance power amused him. Never once in all the years they've known each other, had he been the one in the position of control when it came to Ino. Whenever a conflict occurred between them, he had always gone along with his nature and gave in to her demands to avoid unnecessary troubles. But now, while Ino was looking uneasily back at him with the beautiful sapphire eyes he adored, there was no doubt that in the web of mind-games, he was the ultimate victor. Ino had played right into his hands and unexpectedly, he was starting to enjoy himself despite the troublesome things he had to do. Besides, his hard work was going to be rewarded now. What he planned to do next was anything but troublesome.  
  
His unhurried amble stopped less than a feet away from Ino—whose frame was stiffening up in unease at his proximity. From where he was standing, a spot close enough to feel her radiating body heat, Shikamaru thought he could hear the beating of her heart as he leaned in. Languidly, his arms stretched out and wrapped around her waist—pulling her close in an earnest embrace. His head hovered over her shoulder and he pressed his face against her cheek. With his mouth near her left ear, his lips moved to form his breath into the sound of her name. "Ino........" The warm breeze from his mouth carried the aroma of fresh mint.  
  
With a barely audible gasp, Ino abruptly slumped in his arms limply. Patient as always, Shikamaru waited for a response from her. When a few seconds had passed and she continued to stand impassively in his arms, a tingle of worry solidified in Shikamaru's heart. "Ino?" He asked with his voice higher than usual in an elevated tone of uncertainty.  
  
And as if she didn't hear her name, Ino made no movement to reassure Shikamaru that she was fine. As Shikamaru's level of anxiety was steadily climbing, a cloud of white suddenly exploded before of him—the mist dissipating slowly in front his eyes as the tendrils floated away and diffused into the surrounding air.  
  
A thought floated through Shikamaru's mind. 'Why did Ino feel so spongy and pliable like she was boneless?'  
  
Blinking in puzzlement, Shikamaru pulled away to find himself hugging a pillow he recognized as belonging to the bed he shared with his wife.  
  
"Huh? Kawarimi?" He exclaimed quietly to himself. Who would've thought Ino would have used such a jutsu in the bedroom to get out of a hug? Delighted by Ino's endearing eccentricities, laughter from deep within his chest bubbled forth without warning. Still laughing, the sound of a door swinging shut behind him alerted Shikamaru that Ino had escaped while he was distracted by her fake double. "Oh well, I give up." He managed to say between gasps of chuckling. "This is too troublesome for me anyways."  
  
Breathing out a contented sigh, Shikamaru let his body fall backwards onto the springy mattress in the center of the room. Acting out of character was exhaustive work that required more energy than he possessed. Perhaps it was time to stop this foolish attempt at playing a game he had no interest in from the start.  
  
Shikamaru closed his eyes and slung an arm over his face to block out the light source from the ceiling. He indulged himself by enjoying the clean scent of newly washed sheets that had the faint sweetness of Ino clinging to its cotton fabric. Surrounded by the peaceful ambience of his favorite room in the house, while the light fragrance of the bed soothed him, Shikamaru couldn't be more satisfied with his life—He had a good home, earned an ok living, Ino was happy, he was happy, the weather of the season suited him, and there was no work tomorrow. As he laid limply on the bed, too tired to remove his suit, the well-known fog of sleepiness weighed down on him.  
  
#####  
  
_ Dragging his feet as he lumbered lethargically, Shikamaru watched Ino as she tottered ahead on her wooden clogs. By all rights, the constrictive nature of her yukata and the stiffness of the impractical wooden clogs should have forced her to inch along demurely next to him, and yet, Ino with the boundless energy still managed to skip around animatedly.  
  
"Nee Nee Shikamaru?" She waved at something with the hand that held a stick of half eaten dango. "Will you catch me some goldfish?" She asked eagerly.  
  
Shikamaru's eyes went to the direction Ino was pointing at and saw a small game stand with an old man presiding over low, rectangular basins filled with water and swimming small fish. Plenty of people were already crowded around the basins as they tested their luck and skill against the agility of the aquatic animals. "Don't you think it's rather barbaric to get entertainment by forcing animals to be escaping from grabby people constantly?" He asked in his characteristic seriousness.  
  
For a brief moment, Ino looked contemplative, then a guilty look flitted over her face and replaced her cheerful smile. Although Shikamaru knew he was in the right, he still felt like an ass for ruining her carefree humor.  
  
"I just thought...it'd be nice to have some pretty goldfish at home...." She murmured, shame kept her voice quiet. "Oh well" She was smiling again, determined to keep her gaiety. "How about we go get something to eat? If we don't hurry, Chouji will clear out all the snack stands."  
  
Shikamaru wanted to nod and go with her but instead, he found himself walking to the fish-catching stand. The image of Ino's slightly depressed frown was burned into his mind and that frozen picture he saw with his mind's eye was making him do strange things.  
  
He looked at the cardboard sign hanging on the wall. On it, scrawled in unsteady handwriting, stated that each try was priced at 500 en. Shikamaru frowned at the hefty price. These street venders always jack up the price during festivals because that was when they earned the most. However unwilling he was to do what he planned, Shikamaru still ended up digging around in his pocket until his hand grasp the heavy coin that was 500en. "Ojisan, one net please." Shikamaru said in his bored tone as he reached out with the money resting on his palm.  
  
"No problem boy!" The old man took the money from Shikamaru with one hand and thrust forward the plastic handle of the small, paper net with his other. "Now remember, no using ninja skills!" He warned.  
  
Wearing a grumpy frown on his face, Shikamaru snorted through his nose and inspected the small contraption he held. The net, in actuality, was only a thin plastic ring with an extending handle. Covering the open ring was a fragile sheet of white paper that the player was supposed to use to scoop up fish. The catch of the game was that the player had to move fast enough to net up the darting goldfish but not so fast that the movement of scooping would cause the paper to break in the water. "Mendokusee........"  
  
Like a pleasant surprise, a pair of slender hands clamped down on his shoulders without warning before the natural fragrance of flowers and fruits wafted to him with a breeze. Shikamaru let his eyelids slid close as the aroma washed over him like caressing waves.  
  
"If it's so troublesome, why are you doing it?" She asked, her breath tickling the hair on the back of his neck.  
  
Tensing up at Ino's nearness and embarrassed of her hands on his shoulders, he fought to dominate the growing emergence of a blush on his face. 'How did she sneak up on me wearing noisy shoes like that?' Shikamaru wondered.  
  
"Because I feel like it, ok?" Shikamaru replied with false irritation because he was too bashful to tell her the truth. He would die of mortification if she ever found out how much power she unknowingly possessed over him. Whatever he wanted to say to her, he could only express it with the soliloquy of his unspoken thoughts. 'It's because you said you wanted some pet fish.' His brain echoed silently, the real reason of his motivation. Instead of telling her what was really on his mind, Shikamaru opted to take on a sharp tone of annoyance. "Will you scoot back?" He snapped aloud. "You're invading my space."  
  
"Oh...sorry..." Ino's bright eyes widened at his unexpected foul spirits as she took a few steps to the side.  
  
Sighing at his own stupidity, Shikamaru crouched down and inspected the small shimmering bodies in the basin before he started to dip his net into the water. The key to catching anything, was patience—wait until there was a fish that was near the surface of the water and slide the net underneath the fish at an angle. When you retrieve the fish, the net should be raised at an angle also to prevent water resistance from breaking the paper. Until there was the perfect opportunity, the net should spend the least amount of time possible in the water.  
  
Five minutes later, his enduring patience had paid off and there were three goldfish swimming in circles within his bucket. The paper of his net was still relatively sturdy which meant he could still continue. Right when Shikamaru was about to go for his fourth fish, a spinning coin soared in a straight arc—swooshing past his face and into the basket that held the street vender's revenue.  
  
"Oi, give me a net, Ojisan." Said a youthful male voice.  
  
As if his muscles moved independently from his will, Shikamaru's lips twisted downwards into an exasperated sneer. It was the annoyingly confident voice of his nightmares.  
  
"Oh? Ok boy!" The street vender held out a fresh net by the stick to the young, dark-haired man standing behind Shikamaru. "Wow, you're a handsome boy aren't you?" The vender commented when he eyed the new customer over.  
  
Shikamaru resisted the reflexive impulse to roll his eyes. The pretty boy always got that kind of attention.  
  
"Ahhh Sasuke-kun!!" Ino squealed out with more affection in her tone than she ever felt for the forgotten teammate.  
  
Seeing how Sasuke's presence caused Ino's natural spark of joy to flame into blinding radiance, Shikamaru bowed his head in defeat. The handle of the net slipped from his fingers and fell into the basin—the force of the collision against the water surface was enough to shatter the paper of the net as the plastic part drifted to the bottom.  
  
Not noticing Shikamaru's discomfort, Ino sidled up to the arrogant looking Uchiha Sasuke and looped her arms around his. "How have you been, Sasuke- kun? I haven't seen you at all recently! I really missed you!" She prattled on, pausing once in a while to flash the man who was obviously ignoring her with sunny smiles he didn't deserve.  
  
"Let go of me." Sasuke's voice was like ice—freezing the smile Ino had and distorting it into something less than perfect.  
  
Discouraged by the command of the apathetic heir of the Uchiha clan, Ino silently withdrew her arms and stepped away from Sasuke—as if cowering from his frigid treatment.  
  
When Shikamaru saw the pain in Ino's heart leak out via her expression, he wanted to punch the conceited asshole. But he wouldn't. Despite his fantasies, that would be too troublesome and it wouldn't be his way.  
  
The flawless features of Sasuke's face was positioned to express cool indifference when he glanced from Ino to Shikamaru. Apparently, they weren't worth his majesty's time. Then, with unintentional elegance, Sasuke got down on a knee and thrust his net into the water in one fluid move. What came next had Ino gawking and Shikamaru watching with grudging admiration. With a flurry of movements that the human eye could only decipher as a blur, Sasuke had flung all the goldfish from the basin into the air where he caught them with a waiting bucket he held in his other hand. Within only the timeframe of barely thirty seconds, Sasuke had single-handedly caught every single one of the goldfish the vender had available.  
  
Once again, the unvarying company of Shikamaru was forgotten as Ino fawned over Sasuke along with other appreciative women.  
  
Brushing off Ino's precious attention, Sasuke unceremoniously dumped his catch from his bucket back into the vender's basin. Tossing the bucket aside, he crossed his arms and his lips lengthened into a perfected smirk. "I only felt like testing my skills." He said contemptuously, then left without a word. His groupies that followed him persistently chased after him—falling over themselves to get his attention.  
  
Ino clasped her hands to her heart and sighed longingly at Sasuke's back as he merged into the main crowd of the festival. "He's just soooooo cool" She exhaled lightly. Blinking, Ino seemed to suddenly remember that she had come to the festival with Shikamaru so she turned to him. "Do you think Sasuke-kun noticed my yukata? I heard he liked the color blue so I made this out of the blue cloth decorated with little fans. Isn't it cute? Do you think he likes it?" She asked a string of questions eagerly—looking for some reassurance that she still had a chance with the adonis of Konoha.  
  
Shikamaru lifted his head and looked at her blankly—his facial muscles were slack, giving him an inscrutable look. Behind him, was his own bucket filled with some water and three forgotten goldfish—swimming in pointless circles that lead to nowhere.  
  
_ #####  
  
Angrily, Shikamaru swung the arm resting over his face away—the arm sounded with a dull thump as it smashed into the yielding bed with a solid wallop. Gritting his teeth, he rolled onto his stomach and nuzzled into the fluffy comforter—seeking escape from his current contemplations in the cool fabric. Wondering why had his brain had decided to pick this moment of contentment to bring forth an unhappy memory, he questioned his position in Ino's heart. "Kuso....I'm not an insecure eighteen-year-old anymore." He growled.  
  
Had Ino really given up on Uchiha Sasuke or was she just bidding her time. Was he, the stupid, trusting, and desperate childhood friend—finally her husband because she settled for someone comfortable. Someone who would always be there even if she longed for a better man.  
  
Because he had enjoyed himself too much playing the doting husband and making Ino dance like a puppet to setting of his music, he had carelessly forgotten the true mission of the scheme. It was to wipe all traces of Uchiha Sasuke, once and for all, from the dreams of Ino's heart. Although he suited perfectly, his role of the dispassionate genius to the smallest nook of the character, he had no intention of spending the rest of his life doubting Ino's love for him, or feeling inadequate when she compared him with the other genius—the one that had looks, money, and fame.  
  
If he let his 'what will come, will come' nature get the better of him.......and he and Ino never achieve the equilibrium point of emotional understanding, she will spend the rest of her life trying to mold him into Sasuke and he would never measure up. It would breed discontent and bitterness. The disastrous end of such a relationship.................was divorce.  
  
The tumultuous feeling of tension in his chest was making itself known again. He always had that discomfort behind his ribs when Ino started on one of her "Sasuke-kun is so great" rants. Grabbing a fistful of bedsheet, determination was seeping out like liquid from the hidden source locked within him.  
  
Shikamaru was a relaxed, lazy, and nonchalant man who rolled with the punches and let insults flow off his back like rainwater...........until that is, he was cornered by critical situations and forced to take charge. Ino was important to him. His marriage was important to him. Without a doubt, this was a paramount situation in need of his immediate attention.  
  
With a groan, Shikamaru used the muscles of his abdomen to sit up uneasily. Rocking his head to the left and right, the sound of shifting cartilage and popping joints signified that he was warming up in preparation for his task.  
  
#####  
  
Of all the stupid things she had done in her youth, nothing made her feel half as brainless as she did now—hiding behind the couch and peering over the top of the seat to keep watch for Shikamaru. It wasn't like her 'hiding spot' wasn't blatantly obvious but she had nowhere else to go. Except of course, out of the house. But that was something she couldn't do because she felt bad enough using kawarimi to evade Shikamaru's advances to further shun him by running and screaming out of their home. So instead, she opted to squat behind the couch with the rest of the dust bunnies as they awaited their fate.  
  
It wasn't that she didn't _WANT_ to........with him.....It was that his mannerism had her intimidated albeit a little turned on. The normal dance of courtship between the two of them usually went something like this—She would repeatedly drop obvious hints at Shikamaru until she lost her patience and threw herself at him. Then predictably, he would give in to her amorous intentions and a night of passion would ensue.  
  
The fact that he never initiated the bed ritual of married couples was another thing about him that had her dissatisfied with his behavior and the direction their marriage was going. The way he seemed to be disinterested in her body often made her feel unattractive—causing her to doubt her ability to bait desire out of the inattentive Shikamaru. Of course he would always erase those insecurities when they make love, that is, when the rare event actually takes place. But the thing is, after a while, she begin to tire of always having to put herself out like some lonely housewife desperate for attention. And when she gave up being the one who always made first move, the physical intimacies came to a grinding halt. Ino wondered if Shikamaru even noticed.  
  
All of that changed when she created the little toy of Shikamaru and her husband's personality took a 180 degree flip. The featureless pace of their lives switched to the frenzied tapping of a romance novel where an exotic tale of passion unfurled from between the pages. Taking her to the club and dancing with her the way he did, he was a whole-heartedly dedicated husband with all the energy of a womanizing playboy. The best of both worlds in her opinion. Helplessly, Ino found herself falling in love with Shikamaru all over again. So why was she hiding from the one she loved?  
  
Because she felt guilty.......  
  
He had always been by her side—a constant, unchanging factor in a life where nothing else remained stable. From her earliest memories, she could always recall faintly, the presence of Shikamaru lingering in the background unobtrusively. It was normal to have him around—Sleepovers in their innocent days when the parents were away on mission and the child was handed over to the other family for temporary care, or birthday parties where invitation cards were never handed out because it was a given that Shikamaru and Chouji would always be there on her important days and she would do the same for theirs'. She, Shikamaru, and their friend Chouji had always been one entity made of three separate parts.  
  
Ino's hand automatically went to her ear and touched the smooth earring, warm with body heat, that was dangling from her earlobes. These earrings, gray and lackluster, did not catch anyone's eye but she always wore it nonetheless because it was not one of a kind. There were two more sets of the jewelry, exactly identical to hers, belonging to Shikamaru and Chouji respectively. These earrings gave physical shape to the bond the team shared, binding them together with the perfect circle in which no end point existed.  
  
The passage of time stopped for no one and as they grew older, Shikamaru became an invaluable friend who was important in a different way from Chouji even though she never treated him like one. They bungled along in their existence, running on the limited time of youth and categorized their lives with sequential epochs—such as when Shikamaru became the only one of the exam to advance to Chuunin status, or when she finally realized that the thoughts of Shikamaru had displaced her 'love' for Sasuke.  
  
Growing awkwardly into their newfound responsibility of adult ninja-hood as the days of childhood graciously faded into the recollections of the past, they got married and Shikamaru treated her in the way all women deserved to be treated. He had never been anything less than gentle with her. And even though his laziness often grated on her nerves, causing her to frequently lose her temper with him like she was always fast to do, she would never tell him that sometimes, when he was napping in his various spots, she would watch him and a satisfying warmth would fill her. In return, Shikamaru never fought back when she lashed out at him for irritating her radically dissimilar outlook on life and always remained his grumbling, soft-spoken self.  
  
So what right did she have to be disgruntled and to have the audacity to alter him into something he was never meant to be? The man she fell in love with was the indolent ninja with the terrifyingly high I.Q. And if he had remained true to his personality, maybe the problem laid with her.  
  
The creaking of the steps alerted Ino that Shikamaru was coming down the staircase, probably in search of her. Unlike the slow clunks of dragging footsteps that she was accustomed to hearing Shikamaru make, the erratic sounds of descending thumps sounded unnaturally jaunty, as if he was dancing his way over from the upper floor.  
  
Suddenly, from the other side of the concealing wall, Shikamaru stepped in front of the open door of the living room and into Ino's range of vision. With a gallant spin, he waltzed into the living room and Ino saw that he was dancing with the pillow she had used for kawarimi.  
  
"Oh Ino-chan You're so fluffy and squishy! I could hug you forever!" He declared loudly in a dreadfully comical voice.  
  
For a brief moment, Ino peered at him in perplexity from her hiding place behind the couch—wondering if she was already spotted. Then, she realized he was having a solo conversation with the pillow. "What the...." Ino whispered.  
  
Shikamaru was light on his feet when he did a little jig and dipped the pillow in his arms forward like a dance partner. "Oh Ino-chan Your form may have changed but your genjutsu can't fool me! I know its still you inside!" He cried out before burying his face into the pillow in what Ino guessed was a crushing kiss.  
  
Not knowing what to make of the situation, Ino shrunk even lower behind the couch—a bead of cold sweat slid down the side of her right cheek from her hairline. She was starting to really regret her choice to obey the instructions from the scroll Tsunade-sama had sent her. Now Shikamaru had gone insane and she hoped he wouldn't become an "evil" genius bent on taking over the world. Ino no longer dared to assume that she knew the way Shikamaru's mind worked because his acting like a cheerful idiot was making her doubt all that she thought were certain in the world. Cautiously, Ino continued to spy on Shikamaru until he suddenly turned his head and captured her gaze with his. With a chill, Ino realized that he _did _know she was there after all.....  
  
Staring back at her with a deadpanned expression, Shikamaru tossed the pillow forward where it landed on the couch—bouncing a few times on the cushions. The tension in the room was nearing the point that would make Ino act irrationally when suddenly, his face spread out in the friendliest grin she's ever seen on him. With each push of his facial muscles, the grin he had grew greater in size and infected Ino with his apparent cheerfulness. Looking at Shikamaru, Ino felt her own cheeks tighten with a grin even though she had no idea what she was smiling about.  
  
Dark eyes sparkling like unknown gems, Shikamaru spread out his arms and stayed in that position as if he was waiting.  
  
Looking him up and down with slight concern, Ino wondered if he pulled a muscle in his back.  
  
"Well?" Shikamaru asked.  
  
"Well what?" Ino asked in return.  
  
He closed his eyes slightly when the stretching of his toothy smile seemed to take up half his face. "Come to papa, Ino-chan!" He said as if it was the only logical choice. His feet tapped a bit in impatience.  
  
Trying to jump up and away from the stranger wearing her husband's body, Ino realized in horror that her legs were weak with shock. So instead, she scooted backwards pitifully, half scampering and half crawling until her back was pressed against the wall.  
  
"G-Get away from me you weirdo!" She held her hands up and used her fingers to make a cross as if it would ward off the amorous Shikamaru.  
  
"Awwww Ino-chan don't be like this...." His oversized grin faltered a bit. "Come to me!" He urged. When she didn't move, he shrugged carelessly and decided that he would go to her instead. With the distance between them reducing with each of his steps, Ino could only look up at him with her mouth gaping in mystification.  
  
"Y-You can't get to me!" Vaguely, the intelligent part in her mind questioned where she was going with her line of dialogue. "I have the couch in front of me and there isn't enough space for the both of us to be behind it!" She blurted out without the words ever getting process by her brain. The last word of her sentence clung desperately to her lips as her eyes twitched in mortification at what she said. But words are one of those things that can't be taken back once tossed out.  
  
Trying to pretend that the sound of the forceful beating wasn't from the palpitations within her chest, Ino mustered what was left of her Yamanaka spirit and gathered all her energy into the focused points of her eyes as she fixed on Shikamaru, a narrow glare of blue ice in attempts to intimidate him. But Shikamaru showed no signs of even noticing the menacing look she wore. In fact.......... With a cringe, Ino swallowed uncomfortably. 'I don't like that smile of his...' she thought.  
  
The sudden movement from Shikamaru made her jump but when she saw he was reaching his hands out to the couch armrest instead of her, she leaned back in bafflement. She saw his hands flex to verify his firm grip on the armrest—the determined countenance of his face made her want to reward him with a kiss.  
  
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, the muscles of his arms pulling taunt, then with a forceful fling, the couch slid with a long screech across the room—colliding with the sparse furniture that was scattered throughout. Turning back to Ino, there was a mischievous smile dancing on his kissable lips. "Now we have space, right?" He questioned her with an innocent look.  
  
Ino bolted from her spot.  
  
######  
  
Shikamaru slapped his hand over his forehead in mock frustration when Ino dashed forward with the swiftness of a ninja of her status. But as she threw her body past him, charging straight to the opened door, she failed to notice the calculating upward quirk of the corners of his mouth.  
  
Did she really think he wouldn't have predicted that she would run?  
  
Closing his eyes, he knew he didn't have long to wait for what was going to happen. When he heard a strangled squeak, he chuckled deviously and turned around to face Ino—looking innocently at her pale mask of outraged.  
  
"Y-Y-You...You suck!" She spluttered incoherently.  
  
Still beaming, he gave her a coy wink. "Oh no...._YOU_ suck....if you know what I mean..." He waggled his eyebrows.   
  
Slowly realizing what he was implying, her face instantly took on the bright scarlet of a beautiful rose. Ino was fuming like a pouting child as the feelings of embarrassment and anger fueled the color of her face. Shikamaru could tell that she wanted to beat the fear of god into him but luckily for him, she was under the control of Kagemane no Jutsu.  
  
"You're sucha pervert!......" She cried out, "anyways" she said, quickly glossing over the previous subject. "....how did you do it?" She demanded to know.  
  
"Oh....I knew you were going to run....so I stretched out my shadow and had it creep along the edges of the room until it went across the opened doorway. You can't leave the room without going through a door therefore you can't leave a room without touching my shadow." He explained good-naturedly.  
  
Ino wanted to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off his face by introducing him to Mr. Floor, then Mr. Door, and then maybe young Ms. Kunai.  
  
"HUMPH!" Ino scoffed at him. The effect of her distain was dampened by her inability to cross her arms or look away haughtily. Eyebrows coming together to enhance her glower, her incensed visage faded into something else when she saw Shikamaru was raising his hands. 'Oh no...' She thought with apprehension.  
  
"Saaaa What should I make you do......I suppose I could make you give me a striptease." He looked thoughtful, as if he was actually considering.  
  
"HAH! You can't do that without giving ME a striptease!" She responded in retaliation. Unfortunately for her, Shikamaru's cheeriness only seemed to increase.  
  
"I don't mind giving you a striptease, I. NO. CHA. N." He sang out gleefully, the syllables of her name, plus the affectionate suffix.  
  
Almost having a mental breakdown because her mind couldn't process the improbability of Shikamaru behaving the way he was acting, she decided to confess all her crimes.  
  
"I'm sorry Shikamaru! There was this scroll!" She babbled hurriedly. " Tsunade-sama said it was ok! The doll you saw was a voodoo doll! You're under a spell!" She paused to take a deep breath. "It was supposed to make you more romantic but now you're just crazy and freaky and the spell is evil and I should've never meddled with nature!!!!" She ended with an anguished wail.  
  
"Ohhhh?" He cocked his head and pretended not to understand.  
  
"SHIKAMARU!" She cried out in frustration. "YOU'RE UNDER A SPELL! Lemme go so I can try to reverse it!"  
  
The expression bearing faint humor that Shikamaru happily wore started to die. "A spell......?" he asked softly, his tone was laced with bitter sadness.  
  
Caught off guard by the drastic change that suddenly came over Shikamaru, the genuine note of profound grief Ino heard in his voice shot straight into her soul—leaving in its wake, a path of searing pain in her heart. "I'm sorry.....Shika-chan...Gomen...Gomen yo!" she apologized. "Honto ni gomen da yo!"  
  
"A spell..." Shikamaru was talking to himself in a low voice. "A spell......I...put a spell on you...."  
  
"Huh?" Ino could swear that she saw the last shred of sanity leave his mind.  
  
Opening his mouth to inhale deeply in preparation, he broke into a song. " I put a spell on you Because you're mine"  
  
"Ummmm.....Shikamaru?" Ino asked, trying to get his attention.  
  
Ignoring her, he continued to sing. "I CAN'T STAND THE THINGS THAT YOU DO"  
  
Ino's hands, which was going cold with the rest of her body, started to feel uncomfortably clammy. "Shikamaru?" She tried again in a timid voice.  
  
"NO! NO! NO! I AIN'T LYIN NO" He belted out the song with vigor.  
  
"SHIKAMARU LET ME GO!" Ino yelled at him, having completely lost her patience with his irregular behavior.  
  
"I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T WANT ME" He wailed like he was a tone- deaf.  
  
"SHIIIIKAAAMAAARUUU!!!!!"  
  
"CAUSE I'M YOURS YOURS YOURS ANYHOW"  
  
#####  
  
From within the surrounding houses near the home of Shikamaru and Ino, the residents were turning on their lights and muttering about youths who had no respect for resting elders. The neighbors were used to hearing the screech of an angry Yamanaka Ino as she harped at her husband, but at least she was quiet at night. The unnaturally horrible singing of an unknown man was echoing throughout the resting village of Konoha.  
  
The dogs of the Inuzuka clan, upon hearing the exciting noise that called out to them, had thought it was one of their comrades baying at the moon—so in chorus, they joined in with their own howling. The cacophony of the irregular pitches of vocal noise ricocheted to and fro from between buildings before the sound waves merged in dissonance.  
  
Half the sleepy ninjas of the hidden village made a note to find the inciter of wailing dogs the next morning, and kill him slowly with a rusty kunai.  
  
#####  
  
Finishing his song somewhat breathlessly, Shikamaru took a grandiose bow—one arm waving in wide arcs as he bent forward and dipped his head precariously low to the ground.  
  
For a while, all Ino did was stare at him—by now, she no longer knew how to respond to anything he did. She was about to ask him exactly how long he planned to stay in the bowed position when she noticed she wasn't forced to follow his movements. It seemed that sometime in the middle of his song, Shikamaru had released her from his jutsu. So, on tiptoes with the silence of a soft-pawed cat, Ino started to slide backwards out of the room.  
  
Shikamaru looked up, his back still bent in the bow. "I won't let you escape so easily, Ino-chan." He said with his voice sounding hard.  
  
Abandoning all attempts at sneakiness, Ino spun gracefully and ran off with a dismayed shriek. She almost got to the window when two arms appeared and pulled her back by her waist—causing Ino to topple, her back crashing into a taller body of solid build. She felt Shikamaru's chest heave with a chuckle before a warm tongue stroked her beneath an earlobe, then warm, soft lips flitted down the skin of her neck. The places he touched burned with the lingering sensation of loving contact.  
  
"Ohhhhh.....Shikamaru....." Ino moaned instinctively. She heard him mumble something unintelligible as her body was pulled down to the floor by his weight. He was getting down on his knees and in the process, trying to get her to sit in his lap.  
  
"Ino....." He was still kissing her—his arms made sure that she couldn't run and his lips scattered her concentration so she couldn't bring forth another kawarimi. Sliding his hands down to her hips, he pulled her down into his lap where their groins met intimately. When she stiffened momentarily, Shikamaru knew she had felt how 'ready' he was. Then moving his hands back up the front of her body, Shikamaru cupped her breasts through her dress and bra and begin to slowly stroke his thumbs over the hardening nubs of her nipples. The soft gasps from Ino, and the way her body was reacting seemed to signal her willingness, but her refusal to relax her body was a stark contradiction to the her signs of readiness.  
  
"Do you not want to?" He asked gently, worried that she was actually afraid of him. Bothered by her lack of reciprocation to his kisses, Shikamaru leaned back so he could get a better look at her face. Ino was looking away, but a hint of her blushing cheeks was still visible through the layers of her soft hair. When Shikamaru's gaze fell lower, he saw her hands and his face contorted in heartache. Her small hands were clasped together and shivering from their resting place on her lap. With a sigh, Shikamaru's arms loosened and fell away from her body.  
  
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you..." Although his cheeks were starting to burn with rejection, he still took care to keep the hurt and disappointment out of his voice. Ino slowly turned to face him but Shikamaru felt unable to meet her accusing glare, so in cowardice, he whipped his face to a different direction. The muscles of his clenched jaws were twitching as he alternated between gritting and grinding his teeth. He never expected to feel her soft hands stroke his cheeks, but they did as she slowly made him turn his face back to her. Still feeling humiliated, Shikamaru kept his eyes adverted even after allowing her to look directly at his miserable expression.  
  
"Shikamaru...look at me." Although her tone was light, there was no mistaking the authoritative edge to her voice.  
  
".................." He stubbornly refused to comply.  
  
"Shikamaru."  
  
His dark eyes, by their own volition, reluctantly slid to Ino's face—and were greeted by a picturesque image he never expected.  
  
Ino's eyes, normally the crystalline light blue of the summer sky, was now dark with emotions— resembling the deep indigo of the tremulous sea when the clouds were stormy. Her hair, grown to shoulder-length, was silk strands of gold that hung down to partially cover the spreading rouge on her face. But her soft locks were not able to conceal from Shikamaru, the sight of her full lips that were slightly parted as she breathed in tiny pants. Almost unable to keep his lungs working, Shikamaru swallowed to prevent his saliva from leaking out of his mouth. He had shamed himself enough that day to last a lifetime.  
  
"Lets go upstairs....ne Shikamaru?" Ino asked him in a tiny voice—her already red cheeks darkened even more with her suggestion.  
  
#####  
  
"Oh sweet Ino-chan! I want to boink your brains out!"  
  
Asuma recoiled in horror. "I thought you said you were lip reading their conversation! Shikamaru would never say something like that!" He yelled at the white haired man who was crouching in the bushes.  
  
Jiraiya sighed at Asuma, shaking his head at the younger man's stupidity. "It's called 'artistic liberty', don't you understand?" Without taking his eyes away from the window, Jiraiya scribbled something in his notepad—the pencil scratching noisily against the paper.  
  
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Excuse me Jiraiya-sama but.....This is really wrong."  
  
Turning his black eyes to Kakashi, Jiraiya froze the gray-haired Jounin with the determination that glinted in his dark pupils.  
  
"Do you like my books?" Jiraiya's question had the steel tone of an interrogator.  
  
"No." Asuma lied out of his need to maintain what was left of his dignity.  
  
"Yes." Kakashi replied—a little confused over why the author of Icha Icha Paradise would ask such a question when he had the membership list of the Icha Icha Forever Club—a fan club of comprised of Icha Icha Paradise book lovers where Kakashi held the position of President.  
  
"Well, lets just say not all of my novels were completely original." The aged Sennin confessed without shame.  
  
Asuma crinkled his eyes in mild disgust. "You mean you went around and spied on people, then re-wrote events you saw in story format?" He asked incredulously. "Isn't that......breaking some sort of law?" He asked accusingly.  
  
"Hey, there's no law against observing one's surrounding for inspirations!" Jiraiya retorted self-righteously.  
  
Somehow, Asuma suspected that the Hokage-sama would disagree. "But-"  
  
"Shush!" Jiraiya silenced the unwilling male with an angry wave of his hand. "We're getting to the good part!"  
  
Kakashi turned away from the window and pulled his forehead protector down to cover both his eyes.  
  
"What's going on?" Asuma asked worriedly. Kakashi's behavior was creeping him out.  
  
"Oh hoho!" Jiraiya bellowed with merry laughter. "That boy is pretty good at getting women! I knew I made the right choice when we decided to follow him!"  
  
Asuma frowned at the man's interpretation of the past. "You mean when you FORCED us to come along right?" He purposefully corrected the porn writing author.  
  
Irritated by Asuma's nitpicking, Jiraiya decided to shut the man up with a threat. "Oh whatever will Kurenai-chan say when I tell her about the busty woman you were with...." His voice trailed off ominously.  
  
Asuma's eyes widened at the unabashed blackmail. "I was sick! I was high on cold medicine! And you two just pushed some woman on me! Besides, I didn't kiss her. She kissed me!" He protested vehemently in protection of his innocence.  
  
"Uh....Asuma..I'm sorry to say but..." Kakashi scratched his face through his mask, then raised his hand to make sure the forehead protector was still firmly over his eyes. "That was a man in drag."  
  
".............................." Asuma stood like a statue while his mind processed the information.  
  
The pervert Sennin stood up from the bushes. Leaves were all over his bushy white hair but he didn't care. "Well the kids are going upstairs so I guess we should leave now." He said with a sigh. "That Shikamaru boy is too lucky...."  
  
"Ah." Kakashi replied with a curt nod. He slid his forehead protector back to its usual slant then gave Asuma a hard pat on the back. "Lets go."  
  
Still standing there with his face deformed by terror, Asuma was frozen in time—stuck in the moment when Kakashi revealed the true gender of that woman.  
  
Rolling his one revealed eye, Kakashi couldn't help but grumble a bit. "What am I going to do with you.." He muttered to himself. "I guess I'm the one stuck with the responsibility of getting him home?"  
  
Looking unamused, Jiraiya nodded. "I'll just leave him here if you try to push him on me."  
  
"Maybe we should tell Kurenai-san to come get him..." Kakashi pondered aloud.  
  
The enigmatic Jounin and the openly perverted old man exchanged looks before finally shaking their heads. "Nah, we're not that cruel." They said in unison.  
  
Thus Asuma dodged a bullet.  
  
(#Choking# Gah this is so disgustingly sugary! I need to brush my teeth! The problem with long chapters is that I have no energy to edit all of it. Too darn long! Sorry that this chapter is kinda rushed.)  
  
(If you review you'll gimmie the motivation to actually write instead of just thinking the stories in my head like I always do. Remember to introduce this fic to Shikaino lovers!)

* * *

Kawarimi: switching your body with something else.  
  
Yukata: Kimono for warm seasons.  
  
Dango: round, white snacks made of mushed sticky rice I believe. ( I once tried mashing the rice with one of those giant hammers but dude, it takes a lot of energy. But strangely, it's kinda fun. Maybe I have hidden anger towards rice XD)  
  
En: Better known as yen. I don't know the unit of currency used in Naruto- verse so I just picked the Japanese currency.  
  
Hontou ni gomen yo: I really am sorry!  
  
Ojisan: Mr.  
  
Kuso: Shit  
  
The whole "I put a spell on you" song is by Marilyn Manson I think. I don't really know the song and just borrowed lyrics from somewhere off the net LOL  
  
**Important Notice:**  
  
I'm taking a class over the summer and this class has a really heavy course load and that's why my updates are so slow. Rest assured that I AM doing my best to juggle schoolwork and still weasel in some fanfic writing time. Reviews do wonders in giving me the motivation to organize my days so that I can work in at least 1 hour of fanfic writing time once in a while...#hint hint# eh heheheh...  
  
Tasuki: You're so spoiled  
  
Me: Mouuu Gen-chan...I can't help it! Recently I found out I've become addicted to reviews! I started out not caring but now...#blush#  
  
ERRR back to main topic. Because this fic already has more chapters than all my other fanfics combined, after I post the lemon, I'll probably put this fic aside for some time while I update my other fics. I don't like how my other shikaino fics are totally neglected and I've been wanting to update my dark fic or my shika-centric comedy. But I WILL make sure to not leave this fic at a cliff-note when I turn my attention to my other fics.  
  
AND OMG!!! The other day I noticed FOR THE FIRST TIME that I have "ganbare" spelled as "gambare". Suuuure pronouciation-wise it sounds like "gambare" but strictly hiragana-wise it's "ganbare". ;; All the fic reading has messed up my Japanese with romanji LOL. I was sorting through my chapters when I finally noticed for the first time they were all spelled "gambare" ;;. U know what they say about blind spots...since I wrote it I can't see my own mistakes. Should I alter the spelling? Hnnn I'll think about it. Well....Shikamaru-kun wa dou omou?  
  
Shika: dochidemo iin da. (kuso mendokusee) #couldn't give less of a care#  
  
**Author Rambling:  
**  
I'm really ticked at how Naruto is a totally male-dominated anime even though it's popular with girls too. Guys get all the attention and cool background stories while all girls get to do is run around squealing "Sasuke-kun". When is Kishimoto-sensei gonna let the girls show off some cool moves? I was all excited to see Kurenai-sensei fight and I was totally disappointed with the battle scene. #SIGH# Tsunade is probably the strongest female chara (ambiguously good role model I guess) but I wish she had more aspiration in becoming the Hokage. And every time Tsunade says "A man can't go back on his word" I get irritated. Women shouldn't go back on their words either! That's like implying women are wishy-washy people with no dignity or something! Kishimoto-sensei needs to wake up and smell the new millennium! #GRUMBLES# Its my pet peeve.... I won't ramble long but you guys get my point right? I guess I can't help but always look too much into things. Bad habit.  
  
Some Responses to Readers (read at ur own risk):  
  
To Whoever Asked me to include Kiba/Hina: Gomen! Because I want this fic to be completely dedicated to Shikamaru and Ino, I probably won't include any significant KibaHina unless it worked to further the plot. I love kibahina too so if you're interested, I'm planning on writing a fic just for them. Wait for it ne?  
  
To Tea Leaf: So you wrote ur first lemon a while ago? #blush# well I hope you don't judge mine too harshly when I DO write it.... #nervous laugh#  
  
To Teckno: You're wondering wuz up with the scroll from Tsunade ne? Well....that is a secret XD you'll just hafta wait to find out MUAHAHHAHAHA  
  
To Jeano: Yup I'm a cruddy speller. Whatcha gonna do? XD  
  
To Ishime: Ur English is great! Thanks for the review!  
  
To Athene Nanaki: In response to ur question of why Naruto and Sasuke are established as gay lovers in my fic, there's no real reason except that my friend is a narusasu fan. Personally I don't care too much for yaoi either but Fi-chan likes so Fi-chan shall get lol. Also, I can NOT stand Sakura. I am an avid Sakura hater (and I can easily support why Sakura is a horrible person and there is no way I can ever like her even though I gave her more than her fair share of chances to redeem herself) and I'm a bigger fan of KibaHina cuz I LOOOOOOVE kiba! Btw, thanks for reading this fic! Hope you check out some of my other fics! Shikaino forever!  
  
To NeitherWinter: (T-T) Oh you've hurt my feelings soooo!!! Just joking! Yes I totally agree with ya! Why change Shika when he's already so great? But you've gotta remember, its not our opinion that counts, it's Ino's opinion that counts and she thinks he should change and so he did....... If you've noticed, from the very first chapter, I've been setting Shika up for something like this (MUAHAHAHAH). Why you ask? It's cuz although Shika and Ino are the greatest couple ever (my humble opinion) and they're meant to be (once again...opinion), their personalities are just too different for em to get along well after marriage without them making some compromises to meet each other halfway ne? Ino has always been loud and outgoing and easy to piss off while Shika is laid back, cranky and grumpy all around. If they don't at least make some changes to themselves, the marriage probably wouldn't last very long cuz it'd end up grating on each other's nerves. Marriage is based on compromise! (Well.....my opinion anyways). I'm sure I did show that Shika and Ino were a bit estranged for a while ne? ANYWHO, I hope this chapter went to help explain my point of view.  
  
Although Shikamaru was HORRIBLY ooc in ch.6 (lol it was funny to write), was he really ooc? If you really think about it...he might NOT be ooc. If you remember from the Chuunin test (talking bout the anime), Shikamaru has acted horribly ooc also. When Neji showed up, Shika complied with Ino's (foolish) plan and tried ass kissing with Neji. ;;; Unless I'm horribly wrong, wasn't it shika who asked Neji "will you give me an autograph?" (Sign hoshii na I think he said. Unless it was Chouji...)  
  
That wasn't like Shika at all but the situation demanded that course of action from him and so.....he complied. I think if Shika felt cornered or forced, he'll easily change his behavior (temporarily at least however much he may hate it). Just like when Tsunade asked Shika to go bring sasuke back. Shika didn't WANT to...he doesn't even like Sasuke...but Shikamaru agreed cuz it was his duty as a konoha shinobi ("sasuke wa nakama da!") Not only did he agree to the mission, he even acted like a leader in that he gave really cool awe inspiring speeches( I LOVE YOU SHIKAMARU!!!) and seized his leadership position with not too much prob (well Chouji supports him 100% that's a given). Who would've thought the lazy Shika who is always hiding in the shadowy background (and bushes) would take the spotlight and make even rowdy Kiba agree that Shikamaru was starting to feel like a chuunin to him.  
  
Shikamaru is adaptive. If he thought his marriage to Ino was in danger, he would be willing to do something as troublesome as.......eh hehe U know what. Besides, what better way for him to show Ino that he's already great than by showing her what he COULD be? (the scary polar opposite). That way, maybe he and Ino can strike at a middle point and live happily ever after!! (I'm sucha sap....T-T)  
  
And if you STILL disagree with the course this fic is going, well..gomen! Can't please everybody ne? XD or maybe I can......Nope Nope still can't.  
  
EH heheh I kinda wanna watch Harold and Kumar Goes To White Castle. It seems to be pretty funny. 


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